Seven players are set to miss the Premier League title showdown between Liverpool and Manchester City this weekend.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will welcome the reigning champions to Anfield on Sunday afternoon. Liverpool head into the clash on the back of a controversial win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground; meanwhile, Pep Guardiola will be in cloud nine after trouncing Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
While both Liverpool and City will be determined to get the upper hand, the latter will have an extra day’s rest. The Anfield club must travel to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague in the Europa League round of 16 first-leg on Thursday night. The Treble winners, however, host Copenhagen on Wednesday evening in the Champions League round of 16 second leg, and they’re leading the tie 3-1 on aggregate.
Jack Grealish
Grealish looked devastated when he was forced to leave the field during Manchester City’s 6-2 win over Luton Town in the FA Cup earlier this month. The 28-year-old winger was consoled by his teammates after having only recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Injury: Groin
Return date: Unknown
What Guardiola has said: “I didn’t speak to doctors but I think he complained a bit about the groin. Maybe a little bit similar [to before]. He felt really good but unfortunately was injured again at the beginning of the game.”
Meanwhile for Liverpool…
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold hasn’t featured since aggravating his knee injury in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Burnley at Anfield last month. In his absence, Klopp has relied on Conor Bradley at right-back.
Injury: Knee
Return date: Brighton (H) – March 31
What Klopp has said: “As long as I am here, we never forced anybody back and will never do. A thing we have to clarify a bit. I was not really aware of it, but I got the news that there was a discussion we might have forced Trent back because of two setbacks.
“Nobody wants that and nobody is doing that, but we work in a high-performance area. We always try to catch the earliest moment [when someone is injured]. Unfortunately, when we catch that early moment, nobody speaks about that. The last decision is always with the player, but if you always listen to the player, they would play after two weeks and it’s a real problem.”
Alisson Becker
Alisson sustained a muscle injury during a training session at Kirkby ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Brentford last month. Klopp has previously suggested that the 31-year-old goalkeeper could return shortly after the March international break, but his knock seems worse than first thought.
Injury: Hamstring
Return date: April
What Klopp has said: “There is no real timescale on it, but it is a proper muscle injury. 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.”
Diogo Jota
Jota was stretchered off against Brentford last month and diagnosed with a medial collateral ligament injury in his knee. With Mohamed Salah nursing a slight knock too, his absence comes as a huge blow for Liverpool this weekend.
Injury: Knee
Return date: April to May
What Klopp has said: “Then we have Diogo with a knee issue, is ruled out. With Diogo, it will obviously take rather months. 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.
“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…'”
Curtis Jones
Jones also picked up a knock against Brentford at the G-Tech Community Stadium, suffering a blow to his ankle. The midfielder hasn’t featured since, though he’s expected to return from the treatment room this month.
Injury: Ankle
Return date: Manchester United (A) – FA Cup Quarterfinal – March 17
What Lijnders has said: “Curtis is probably the first one [to come back] around the international break. All the others will be after the international break.”
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago has been plagued with injuries recently. With his contract at Anfield set to expire in the summer, he may have already faced Manchester City for the very last time.
Injury: Unknown
Return date: Unknown
What Klopp has 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.”
Joel Matip
Matip suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Liverpool’s win over Fulham back in December. The defender has since undergone surgery and he’s not expected to return to action until the summer.
Injury: ACL
Return date: Summer
What Klopp has said: “It’s an ACL, ruptured, so that’s what I unfortunately expected from the first second. Everything looked like that. Very unfortunate.”
