Liverpool will be back at Anfield on Saturday to face Fulham, less than 70 hours after their Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat at Paris Saint-Germain. Arne Slot said on Friday that he will assess the condition of several players before naming his team for a match that comes three days later and asks Liverpool to go again almost immediately.
Slot said Alisson Becker will not be in the squad this weekend, while Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni are also sidelined. He said he was worried about Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez as well, and described the situation as one in which Liverpool are still dealing with three defenders injured. The manager added that the club are in their best spell of the season in terms of availability, but stressed that not everyone can handle another intense game so soon after midweek.
Alexander Isak’s return gives Liverpool a different option. The forward came back from a three-month lay-off at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, where he was introduced as a substitute in the 79th minute. Slot said the striker’s availability is “vital” because Liverpool have struggled to turn chances into goals, and he said it was good to have him back even if he was only on the pitch for 15 minutes. He also said the club hope to increase those minutes quickly and bring Isak back to the level he wants as soon as possible.
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Fulham arrive with their own absences. Marco Silva said Kevin, Kenny Tete and Harrison Reed are considered out for the trip to Merseyside, though Calvin Bassey has been declared fit after withdrawing from the Nigeria squad during the international break with a back issue. That leaves both managers making adjustments for a game shaped as much by recovery as by tactics.
The stakes are straightforward. Liverpool need to respond to the Paris setback without overextending a squad that Slot says is already being checked and rechecked, while Fulham travel knowing they will be without several players of their own. Saturday’s game will show whether Liverpool can absorb the strain of the week and still keep their season moving on two fronts.
