Alexander Isak could return to Liverpool's squad for the Premier League match against Chelsea this weekend after resuming team training on Thursday, manager Arne Slot said.
Isak missed Liverpool's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United with a minor groin injury, but Slot said the striker trained with the group again for the first time on Thursday and could be available after doing parts of the session. Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker are still recovering from muscle problems, while Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konaté are expected to be involved after missing training earlier this week. Slot also said Alisson had not yet trained but was very close, and that Giorgi Mamardashvili would train with the team for the first time on Thursday.
Liverpool's immediate target is straightforward: they need a maximum of four points from their final three games to confirm a top-five finish and keep their Champions League hopes on track. Slot said the squad's late-season fitness improvements could help, but he also made clear that the wider judgment on Liverpool's campaign will not change quickly, even if they string together three wins.
That leaves Chelsea as both a chance and a test. Liverpool are trying to finish the season strongly while still dealing with a list of fitness concerns around Salah, Alisson, Wirtz, Konaté and Isak, a reminder that the last stretch is being shaped as much by who is available as by the results themselves.
