Liverpool could be without four players against Man City due to injury, with Cody Gakpo the only one of the quartet who has a chance of being involved.
Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff will both be in the dugout as their red card sanctions have yet to be determined by an independent panel.
We will likely hear which matches Slot could miss early next week, with a two-match touchline suspension expected.
Here is who could miss out for Liverpool vs. Man City:
- Cody Gakpo (ankle) – doubt
- Conor Bradley (hamstring) – out
- Tyler Morton (shoulder) – out
- Joe Gomez (hamstring) – out
Gakpo‘s fitness is the big injury talking point ahead of the match against Man City.
The Dutchman has missed the last two matches due to an ankle knock sustained against Everton, but he is now close to a return.
Whether that return comes against Man City, though, remains to be seen, as Slot said on Thursday: “Let’s see. I hope [he will be fit]. I’m not 100 percent sure.
“He hasn’t trained with the team yet, maybe he does a bit today, I don’t know. It will be a close call.”
There was a positive sign for his fitness indicated by the inclusion of James McConnell and Trey Nyoni for the under-21s match on Friday night.
Their gametime means neither is particularly likely to feature at the Etihad, leaving a 19-man squad excluding Gakpo and third-choice goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros.
As Liverpool tend to take 20 players to each Premier League match, it stands to reason that Gakpo could occupy that 20th spot.
Conor Bradley is definitely to miss the game, however, due to the hamstring injury he picked up at Villa Park. Slot doesn’t “expect him to play against Newcastle as well.”
Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton are both longer-term absentees, with Slot confirming this week that the former has undergone surgery to correct a long-standing hamstring issue.
“He will be back maybe just before the end of the season,” the head coach commented.
Morton, meanwhile, has also needed surgery, on his shoulder, and will miss much of the remainder of the campaign.
• READ HERE: Liverpool lineup options vs. Man City with Tsimikas or Robertson dilemma
Liverpool’s available squad vs. Man City
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Jaros
Defenders: Van Dijk, Quansah, Konate, Alexander-Arnold, Tsimikas, Robertson
Midfielders: Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones, Elliott, Endo, Gravenberch
Forwards: Salah, Diaz, Nunez, Jota, Chiesa, Gakpo*
* Doubtful
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