Liverpool boss Arne Slot provided some positive injury news on two players ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League clash against Sunderland.
With the festive fixtures piling up rapidly, Liverpool fans will be pleased to learn that both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong are nearing a return.
The pair of right-backs have both been missing in recent games.
Northern Ireland international Bradley picked up a muscle injury that kept him out of the Reds’ last three matches.
Frimpong, meanwhile, has not featured since sustaining a hamstring strain in October.
But both men are expected to be back in action soon, according to Arne Slot.
That will be a huge boost for an under pressure Slot, with the latest Liverpool manager odds suggesting his job could be at risk, given recent results.
Liverpool Boss Arne Slot Provides Positive Injury News
Speaking in Tuesday’s press conference ahead of Liverpool’s midweek match against Sunderland, Slot confirmed that both Bradley and Frimpong are nearing a return.
He said: “Conor got into a team training session yesterday for the first time yesterday.
“Not everything 100% yet so we had to manage that a little bit, so don’t get your hopes up too soon.
“But the good thing is he does certain parts with the group already.
While Bradley’s return is imminent, Slot admitted that Frimpong will probably take a week longer.
“And we expect the same with Jeremy next week, so the two of them will come back,” added the Reds manager.
“But unfortunately, we play a lot of games in the upcoming week.
“So Jeremie, if he’s training with us next week, he will miss out on three more games.
However, the Liverpool boss added some further positivity, suggesting Conor Bradley may even be in contention for his side’s trip to Leeds United on Saturday.
“I hope [Conor] he will be available for Leeds,” said Slot.
Liverpool Stars Returning At Just The Right Time
The news of two players returning from injury could not be more welcome at Anfield.
Sunday’s 2-0 win at West Ham ended the club’s worst run since 1953, with Arne Slot breaking an unwanted 71-year Liverpool record.
Not since then had Liverpool lost three consecutive matches by at least a three-goal margin.
But defeats against Nottingham Forest (3-0), Manchester City (3-0) and PSV (4-1) saw them equal that.
In the absence of Bradley and Frimpong, midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has been deployed at right-back.
On Sunday, the return of Joe Gomez allowed the Hungarian to play in a more natural position.
With two regular fullbacks returning, Slot will finally feel he has some depth to choose from again.
And Liverpool will definitely need it, given their hectic upcoming schedule.
Liverpool’s Brutal December Fixtures Mean Slot Needs All Hands
As always, the festive period brings with it a congested fixture list for Premier League clubs.
And with Liverpool competing in the Champions League, they have the added challenge of facing Inter Milan on Tuesday, 9 December.
Liverpool will play a total of nine games between now and January’s international break.
The first of these is Wednesday’s Premier League match against Sunderland.
They then conclude this brutal run with a daunting trip to league leaders Arsenal on 8 January.
In that time, they will play four midweek games, giving their players minimal time for rest and recovery.
As a result, the return of Bradley and Frimpong has come at a crucial time for Arne Slot.
Liverpool Fixtures Until January International Break:
- Wed 3 Dec – Sunderland (H)
- Sat 6 Dec – Leeds United (A)
- Tue 9 Dec – Inter Milan (A) – Champions League
- Sat 13 Dec – Brighton (H)
- Sat 20 Dec – Tottenham (A)
- Sat 27 Dec – Wolves (H)
- Thu 1 Jan – Leeds United (H)
- Sun 4 Jan – Fulham (A)
- Thu 8 Jan – Arsenal (A)
