Liverpool face damage woes forward of West Ham conflict with three gamers uncertain
Liverpool host West Ham United on Sunday as they look to bounce back from their rare defeat to Fulham last time out but Slot’s team could be without three key players for the game
Liverpool are gearing up for a comeback at Anfield this Sunday, with West Ham stepping up on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds faced a shocker last weekend, stumbling to a 3-2 defeat at Fulham after a poor first half performance. But thanks to Arsenal only managing a draw at Everton, Liverpool’s lead at the top is still a comfortable 11 points.
Boss Arne Slot had hoped to have Alisson Becker back between the sticks for the London clash, but the goalie was a no-show in the squad again. The Brazilian keeper didn’t clear the last hurdle of the concussion checks, keeping him benched against Everton and then missing the Fulham fiasco.
Slot remarked: “There’s a week to go [until the next match] so that gives us a bit of time.
“But you know as Liverpool we always follow the protocol in moments like this when it’s a concussion. If you haven’t ticked all the boxes, he can’t be in goal. He wants it a lot but the protocol is the protocol.”
In other team news, Conor Bradley made a splash off the bench last Sunday and looks set to start against the Hammers.
The lad from Northern Ireland bagged an assist for Luis Diaz’s strike and sparked some life on the right side. With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez out of action, if Bradley’s fit, he’s likely to get the green light.
Slot is set to give the lowdown on the pair’s condition before the weekend’s matches kick off. The Dutch gaffer has already let slip that both are benched for a few weeks due to ankle and hamstring injuries respectively.
If Alisson and Bradley bounce back, the injured duo might be the only Reds on the treatment table. Tyler Morton is also back in the mix after his recent break, Slot confirmed ahead of the Fulham face-off.
The Gunners could narrow the gap to just eight points before Liverpool’s Sunday match, as they welcome Brentford to the Emirates Stadium a day earlier.
Heading into the summer transfer window, a new forward seems to be the order of business for Slot, amid Salah’s ongoing uncertainty over his future with the league’s top scorer out of contract in a matter of months.
So far, Lamine Yamal, Matheus Cunha and Jonathan David are all rumoured.
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