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Jürgen Klopp is preparing for another busy week for his injury-hit Liverpool side, with several players still missing. The Reds will face Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday before a blockbuster clash against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool secured another win to stay top of the Premier League at Nottingham Forest on Saturday as Darwin Núñez headed in a 99th minute winner at the City Ground. The Uruguayan had previously missed three games through injury but came on to make a decisive impact.
It could prove to be a vital goal in the title race and a vital boost for Liverpool ahead of the upcoming games. Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai also made his return in the match, after missing six games since the 4-1 win against Chelsea in January.
Klopp remained without a host of players though and it remains to be seen when the likes of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson will be back, with Liverpool still in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple this season.
Ahead of a huge week for the Reds, Liverpool.com has rounded all the latest injury news from Anfield including potential return dates for the currently sidelined stars.
Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold
Klopp revealed ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest that Salah would miss out, but was close to a return. He said on Friday: “He is not too far off. I think next week, at any point, it is possible. So he is on the way back, definitely, but not there yet.”
Thursday’s clash with Sparta Prague presents an ideal opportunity for Salah to get some minutes if he is ready, before hopefully including him against Manchester City. That said, Klopp may opt to take a cautious approach after lengthy injury issues and use him from the bench against the champions.
Alexander-Arnold aggravated his knee injury against Burnley last month and has not played since for the Reds. Pep Lijnders confirmed Liverpool’s vice-captain would be unlikely to return until after the international break and he was seen wearing a knee brace at Wembley.
Potential return dates: Salah vs Sparta Prague or Man City, Alexander-Arnold vs Brighton on March 31.
Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones
Liverpool lost both Jota and Jones during the first half at Brentford, with the duo having been in excellent form before their injuries. Jota suffered an MCL problem in that match with Klopp later revealing he was likely to be sidelined for a couple of months. It is hoped he will be fit and firing for the run-in.
Jones meanwhile picked up an ankle injury in that match but Lijnders said he would be the first to return of the longer-term absentees. That means he could be in contention for the FA Cup tie against Manchester United but Liverpool may give him the international break to fully recover.
Potential return dates: Jota should be back in April while Jones will be sooner, likely vs Brighton.
Alisson Becker and Ryan Gravenberch
Back-up goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher has shone in Alisson’s absence and was excellent again at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. He will keep his place for the time being with Alisson still being some way off returning after suffering a hamstring injury before the Brentford match.
Klopp said last week: “There is no real timescale on it, but it is a proper muscle injury. It is not that he will be in contention for next week or something like that. We have to wait a few more weeks, definitely, for him. It is a rather serious one but not a season-ending injury.”
Liverpool’s home shirt for the 2023/2024 campaign pays homage to Bill Shankly and the legendary Reds manager’s final season in charge at Anfield. The Nike shirt features a bright red design with a bold white contrast on the colour and cuffs.
Gravenberch was forced off in the first half of the Carabao Cup final after a late challenge from Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo. He left Wembley on crutches wearing a protective boot but Klopp confirmed it was a ligament issue, rather than a break.
He is expected to miss out against Sparta Prague but could be on the bench against City, or the return Europa League clash next week to hand his side a real boost
Potential return dates: Gravenberch in the next week, Alisson at some point in April.
Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajčetić
It looks as though Liverpool midfielder Thiago has played his last game for the club. The Spaniard made a brief cameo in the defeat to Arsenal in what was his first appearance of the season.
But he suffered another setback in that match and his contract is up this season. Klopp admitted recently that there was no timescale on his return and he was unsure if he would feature again before the end of the campaign.
Bajčetić has also had a difficult season with injuries and has made just a handful of appearances. But the Liverpool boss revealed last week that he is closing in on a return to training. The Reds boss said: “He’s pain-free, completely pain-free, which is obviously the most important thing. All checks we made, like scans again, bone looks good, that’s all fine and he’s just doing the stuff he’s doing.”
Liverpool youngster Doak has had knee injuries of his own and was forced to undergo surgery before the turn of the year. That problem means he is unlikely to return in the near future with the European Championships also likely to come too soon.
Potential return dates: Unknown, but likely to be after the end of the season.