Slot mulls Liverpool’s fitness concerns ahead of Manchester City clash

Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised Pep Guardiola’s management of his injury-hit Manchester City side, and raised his own squad’s fitness concerns ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Etihad.

Right back Conor Bradley is likely to miss the City game, as well as Wednesday’s home game against Newcastle United with a muscle injury, while defender Joe Gomez will be out until the end of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery.

Forward Cody Gakpo, who has missed Liverpool’s last two league games due to a knock, is doubtful.

“I hope, I’m not 100 percent sure, Cody hasn’t trained with the team yet. It will be a close call,” Slot told reporters on Thursday.

“Joe had surgery, so he’s out for a long time. He will be back maybe just before the end of the season. I would be completely surprised of Conor is available. You can assume that’s not going to happen.

“(Diogo) Jota and Trent (Alexander-Arnold), the reason they don’t play 90 minutes five times in a row in 15 days (is because) they just came back from an injury.”

City, who are fourth in the league, were knocked out of the Champions League after 6-3 aggregate play-off loss to Real Madrid, with talisman Erling Haaland absent for the 3-1 away defeat on Wednesday.

“The style is the same even if they wear different shirts. It is a Guardiola side, even when they drop points. But even he needs quality players. If he has so many players out, in this league, it is so very hard,” Slot said of City, who are in a tight race to secure a top four finish.

“They have signed three or four players, and I can see them coming back already if you look at the 4-0 result against Newcastle.

“You have to suffer as well and work really hard to keep them away from your goal because they are so, so good in possession.

“But they face a strong visiting team as well, who have not lost in 22 (league) games in a row.”

With second-placed Arsenal, who trail the leaders by eight points, taking on West Ham before Liverpool face City, Slot was asked if the result of that match would impact his tactics.

But the manager said he prefers not to pay attention to the north London side closing in.

“That doesn’t make our game more difficult... We know already how difficult it is to go to the Etihad, so we don’t need Arsenal to get involved in that even more,” he added.

Reuters

Weekend Premier League Fixtures (SA Times)

Friday night – 10pm: Leicester City vs Brentford

Saturday – 2.30pm: Everton vs Manchester United, 5pm: Bournemouth vs Wolves, Ipswich Town vs Tottenham, Southampton vs Brighton, Arsenal vs West Ham, Fulham vs Crystal Palace. 7.30pm: Aston Villa vs Chelsea

Sunday – 4pm: Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest. 6.30pm: Manchester City vs Liverpool