Liverpool are monitoring the fitness of Alisson Becker and Milos Kerkez before Sunday’s visit to Manchester United, with Arne Slot still unsure whether either player will be ready. Mohamed Salah has already been ruled out of the Premier League match after being forced off against Crystal Palace.
Slot said on Friday that Alisson had not trained with Liverpool yet, seven games on from the injury that kept him out of the side. Freddie Woodman made his first Premier League start for the club against Crystal Palace last weekend, underlining how quickly the goalkeeper picture has changed. The manager said Alisson is very close to returning to training, but Liverpool will not rush him back.
Kerkez also remains a concern after leaving the training pitch earlier in the week. Slot said the left-back has had “some niggles” and expected him to train either on Friday or Saturday, leaving Liverpool short on certainty in a position they had hoped would be settled by the weekend. Salah, meanwhile, will not be available on Sunday, though Liverpool expect him back in the final part of the season.
The wider problem for Liverpool is depth. Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni are all long-term absentees, which narrows Slot’s options again for a trip that has already become a test of squad management rather than simple selection.
Manchester United have their own issues. Matheus Cunha missed their win over Brentford at the beginning of the week but has resumed light training, and Luke Shaw should be available. Michael Carrick said United are “in good shape really,” adding that they are hopeful on Cunha, while Matthijs de Ligt remains “a little bit further” from returning. For Liverpool, the equation is straightforward: they may get some players back, but not enough to escape the strain of another high-profile absence list.