Liverpool returned to winning ways with a 6-0 victory over Qarabag and a 4-1 win against Newcastle, but injury concerns remain ahead of their weekend clash with Manchester City. Ibrahima Konate has been back in the squad after being allowed time off following the death of his father, while the absences of senior right-backs have forced Arne Slot to field Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in unfamiliar defensive roles.
The Dutch right-back, who has been plagued by injuries since his summer arrival at Anfield, was forced off after just four minutes against Qarabag with a muscle injury. Slot said the issue was "not as bad as we thought he would be out", and a potential return date has been set for the trip to Nottingham Forest on February 21.
Joe Gomez was forced off in the defeat at Bournemouth two weeks ago, leaving no cover in central defence beyond Virgil van Dijk and Konate. Slot ruled Gomez out of the Newcastle game, but said he could return as soon as next week: "Joe will not be available but that doesn't have to take much longer anymore."
Conor Bradley will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a significant knee injury in the goalless draw at Arsenal. The right-back has undergone surgery and will also sit out Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off against Italy in March. A club statement said no timeframe has been placed on his return.
Summer signing Alexander Isak has not played since December after suffering a fractured fibula in the win at Tottenham, following a challenge from Micky van de Ven that Slot described as "reckless". The striker has had surgery and is expected to be out for "a couple of months", though Slot believes he will play again this season.
