Arne Slot says Jeremie Frimpong will miss Liverpool’s showdown against Newcastle.
The right-back limped off after just three minutes of the Reds’ 6-0 thrashing of minnows Qarabag at Anfield in the Champions League.
He had been given another start in the absence of Conor Bradley, who will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Jeremie Frimpong ‘Distraught’
Frimpong pulled up sharply in the opening stages and appeared to clutch his hamstring.
His team-mates quickly indicated that a substitution was needed, with Wataru Endo summoned from the bench. Frimpong was visibly distraught as he made his way off.
The 25-year-old had missed 10 Premier League matches with two separate hamstring issues, but returned midway through December and finally looked to have found his feet on Merseyside.
However, he will now be forced back to the treatment table, a cruel blow for Arne Slot.
Providing an update post-match, Slot told TNT Sports: “It is obvious if a player goes out like that, you do not expect him to play against Newcastle. Jeremie is out. Let’s see what the future brings.
“Let’s see how Jeremie is. Maybe he is not able to play on Saturday, but maybe he is able to play one or two days later. But we now go into a schedule with one game per week.
“That would usually mean less injuries, but you’re never sure.”
Worsening Liverpool’s injury crisis, his absence leaves them with just three recognised first-team defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez and Andy Robertson.
Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are also currently out of action.
Luckily for Slot, Frimpong’s injury did not derail the hosts’ bid for three points. Indeed, Liverpool were tipped to win and duly sealed their spot in the last-16, avoiding a play-off.
Frimpong’s Bad Luck As Slot Rues Absences
Phil McNulty, the BBC’s chief football writer, declared Frimpong’s setback looked ‘ominous’.
“Jeremie Frimpong looked utterly disconsolate as he made his way around Anfield’s perimeter accompanied by a member of Liverpool’s medical team,” he wrote. “And who can blame him?
“Not sure whether it was yet another of the hamstring injuries that have blighted his season.
“But the manner in which he pulled up sharply, hobbled for a moment, then fell to the floor looked very ominous. He has had no luck this season.”
Ahead of the match at Anfield, Slot had addressed his worsening injury headache.
He said: “Even if you would reconsider and you come to a different decision, then the question is are we able to change it?
“Can we make this squad bigger with the money available and the things we can do?
“We are maybe one or two players short compared to last season in terms of numbers. If you add then three long-term injuries to that, then all of a sudden it is quite a lot.”
