Liverpool’s last-gasp Premier League win at Nottingham Forest was made all the more enjoyable by the sight of Darwin Nunez, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai returning from injury.
Nunez was able to mark his return to fitness at the City Ground by scoring a 99th-minute header to send the Reds four points clear at the top of the Premier League, while Szoboszlai was also introduced in the second half for his first appearance since January’s 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea.
Unlike the aforementioned duo, Endo had only been sidelined for a couple of days and therefore only Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Southampton due to suffering a knock to his ankle against Chelsea in last Sunday’s League Cup final.
For Liverpool, the trio’s return does little to alleviate the current injury problems that are mounting at the AXA Centre but with Manchester City next up in the Premier League, it will be a welcome sight for manager Jurgen Klopp.
Mohamed Salah
Salah has not featured for Liverpool since coming off the bench in last month’s 4-1 thrashing of Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium but could be set for a return to action when Manchester City visit Anfield next weekend.
The 31-year-old has missed the Reds’ last four games after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury he initially picked up when playing for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking in his pre-Nottingham Forest press conference, Liverpool manager Klopp revealed Salah is “not too far off” making a return and could feature in either of next week’s games against Sparta Prague or Manchester City.
On Saturday, Liverpool asked the Football Association of Egypt to exclude Salah from their March internationals for fear of aggravating his current injury further – a request to which Egypt has responded.
Expected return date: March 10
Alisson Becker
Alisson Becker has missed Liverpool’s last six matches across all competition after suffering a muscle injury last month – but Jurgen Klopp is adamant the Brazilian will take to the field again this season.
It was initially thought the Reds’ No.1 would miss Liverpool’s upcoming games against Manchester City and Manchester United but be in contention for a return to action after the international break this month. However, Klopp has revealed that there is currently no timescale on Alisson’s injury, which he described as “not a short one”.
“There is no real timescale on it, but it is a proper muscle injury,” said Klopp earlier this week. “Different players recover differently. That is it pretty much. It is not a short one.
“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. He is working in the gym, not on the pitch, it is a rather serious one but not a season-ending injury.”
Expected return date: Unknown
Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch was substituted during the first half of the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea.
The Dutchman was on the receiving end of a tackle from Moises Caicedo, which did not result in a booking or a red card. The Liverpool midfielder was stretchered off the pitch and is now expected to undergo further assessment before a timeframe for a return is given.
Discussing how long the Dutchman may be out for, Klopp said ahead of the midweek win over Southampton: “He’s not running around, [he is] walking around on crutches. It’s not as bad as it could have been but he’s definitely out for tomorrow [Southampton] and for the weekend [Forest].”
Expected return date: Unknown.
Diogo Jota
Jota left the field of play on a stretcher during the Reds’ 4-1 win at Brentford earlier this month after suffering a blow to his left knee. The Portuguese forward is likely to only be ready to feature towards the back end of the campaign.
“It’s with the injuries as well, so like you have important days. So, day five, day 10, they are always important days when you then judge the situation again because nobody reacts in the same way and it depends on the pain level they still have and stuff like this,” said Klopp.
“I couldn’t give you a timeframe even if I wanted to, so that’s just how it is. When you don’t have these players available, it makes no sense as well to say, ‘OK, they will not be in before…'”
Expected return date: Mid-April
Curtis Jones
The midfielder sustained an ankle injury at Brentford and left the stadium on crutches as a result. Jones is expected to be available after the March international break.
“Curtis is probably the first one [to come back] around the international break. All the others will be after the international break,” said assistant manager Pep Lijnders.
Expected return date: March 31
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold has been missing for four matches. The right-back suffered discomfort in his knee during the 3-1 win over Burnley on February 10 and was substituted at half-time.
The Reds’ vice-captain is expected to be back in contention after the March international break.
Expected return date: March 31
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago suffered a hamstring injury during his cameo appearance against Arsenal on February 4. The midfielder had not played for the Reds for nine months before his substitute appearance at the Emirates Stadium.
No timeframe has been placed on when Liverpool expect Thiago to return. Klopp offered a bleak assessment of the Spaniard’s chances of returning to the team when speaking to reporters on February 27. The Reds’ boss said: “There’s no timescale. I don’t know, to be honest. It’s a couple of things [that] he has to do now from a medical point of view and then I don’t know if that will then mean that he can play again [this season].
“That’s not a short-term thing, that’s why I’m not really in the subject. It’s not that he might be in training in two weeks or stuff like this, so that’s why I’m not 100 per cent in it. I cannot say more about it, to be honest.”
Expected return date: Unknown.
Stefan Bajcetic
Stefan Bajcetic has endured a frustrating period in his fledgling Anfield career after several injury problems. He enjoyed a strong debut campaign last season but saw it end prematurely after suffering a stress response in his adductor in March.
Bajcetic returned in September with outings in the Carabao Cup and Europa League but his involvement against LASK Linz proved to be his last after suffering a calf issue. It remains unclear when he will return to full training.
Offering an update on the youngster, Klopp said on February 27: “He’s obviously gaining fitness now… he didn’t get a green light yet for us for the team training. 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.”
Expected return date: Unknown.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip is recovering from surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 32-year-old, who is in the final months of his contract at Liverpool, is likely to miss the rest of the season. The centre-back was left stricken in the 70th minute of the dramatic Premier League 4-3 win over Fulham in December after an off-the-ball incident.
Expected return date: End of season
Ben Doak
Ben Doak is out long-term with a serious knee injury sustained playing for the under-21s. Lijnders said of Doak’s condition: “That’s not a good one. He tore his lateral meniscus, which needs surgery.
“That one will take [a] longer time. He is young, he is a fit guy, he is a positive guy so for sure he will come back stronger, and we need him to come back with the same fire he has with the ball, how he was. We will wait for him.”
Expected return date: Late season
