MUSCLE ISSUES: FLORIAN WIRTZ & CONOR BRADLEY RULED OUT FOR FOREST
Liverpool's Alisson returns from injury for Nottingham Forest, but Arne Slot confirms Florian Wirtz & Conor Bradley are out. A right-back crisis may force Szoboszlai or Jones into an unfamiliar role.
Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley will not be playing in Liverpool's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, according to the coach, Arne Slot.
But Alisson Becker is ready to play again. The Brazilian goalkeeper has been out for eight games because of a hamstring problem he got during Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Galatasaray on September 30. Now, he will be back in his place as a goalkeeper against Forest.
The Dutch coach talked about the newest updates on player health before the game, saying: "We have some worries after the break for international games, but Alisson practised last week and this week, so he can play if everything goes well tonight." Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley are both unable to play. That is not good at all.
According to the Liverpool Echo, because Bradley is out, Slot does not have a typical right-back, and the Liverpool coach expects that both the Northern Ireland player and Jeremie Frimpong, who is now hurt, will be out for at least three weeks.
Slot said more about the injuries, explaining, "Both are muscle problems.
"Unless something amazing happens, I do not think Conor will be ready in the next 22 days—maybe by the end. Florian might not need that much time. Jeremie will not be available for several weeks because he will be out for a longer time."
Even though Bradley and Frimpong are still out, Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones might play at right-back; Joe Gomez is another possibility.
Slot said that he might have to use players in positions they are not used to. "Dominik is doing great in all positions," he mentioned.
"Joe Gomez has only played two full games in 2025, so having him play seven times in 22 days would be a risk if we want him to stay healthy longer.
"We think he will practice today, but he did not practice yesterday. Maybe one or two players will have to play in positions they usually do not."
HIDDEN TARGET: WHY BRADLEY BARCOLA EMERGED AS LIVERPOOL’S TOP CHOICE AFTER THE SEMENYO SNUB
Liverpool rival Bayern for PSG star Bradley Barcola. See how the winger fits Arne Slot’s plans following Mo Salah’s recent outburst.
Liverpool is reportedly eyeing PSG winger Bradley Barcola as a possible signing.
PSG wants to lock Barcola into a new contract, especially with Liverpool showing interest. Since joining Lyon in 2023 for about £40 million, Barcola’s had a great run in Paris. He’s already won two Ligue 1 titles and helped PSG claim their first-ever Champions League trophy last season.
But here’s the thing: Barcola isn’t always in the starting lineup. With Khvicha Kvaratskhelia coming in and Desire Doue on the rise, Barcola sometimes finds himself on the bench. In PSG’s penalty shootout win over Marseille for the Trophée des Champions, Barcola only came on in the 72nd minute to replace Kvaratskhelia.
Still, he’s a real talent—five goals and four assists in 23 games this season isn’t bad at all.
Right now, RMC Sport says PSG has offered Barcola a new contract. His current deal runs until 2028, but his camp hasn’t given any response yet. PSG wants to know where he stands so they can make plans. According to RMC Sport, the club is preparing for anything and already has a shortlist of possible replacements if Barcola decides to leave. For now, though, he’s never actually said he wants out, even with Liverpool and Bayern Munich circling.
So, will Liverpool go for him? They probably want another winger this summer, especially since fans were surprised they didn’t push harder for Antoine Semenyo, who ended up at Man City for £65 million.
Barcola can play on either wing, which could tempt Liverpool. They need someone who can eventually step in for Mo Salah. Salah’s contract runs until 2027, but he’ll be 35 by then, and there are already questions about his future—especially after he claimed he’d been “thrown under a bus” following a 3-3 draw with Leeds. He lost his starting spot before heading to the African Cup of Nations with Egypt.
On the left, Liverpool could use more depth, too. Cody Gakpo is the only real senior option, and he’s had an up-and-down season.
"EVERYONE WAS UNHAPPY"—VIRGIL VAN DIJK REVEALS THE LOCKER ROOM REACTION TO GABRIEL MARTINELLI
Virgil van Dijk reveals Liverpool squad fury over Gabriel Martinelli's shove on an injured Conor Bradley. Get the latest scans.
Virgil van Dijk didn’t hold back—he said the entire Liverpool squad was furious with Gabriel Martinelli after he clashed with Conor Bradley.
Van Dijk was clearly angry. Martinelli dragged Bradley off the pitch, and at first, it just looked like a heated moment. But then everyone realised Bradley had actually injured his knee pretty badly.
After the match, Martinelli apologised. He reached out to Bradley directly and insisted he honestly didn’t know how serious the injury was.
Bradley left the field on crutches, wearing a knee brace. He was in obvious pain. Still, Martinelli tried to shove him off the pitch, which sparked a full-on brawl at the end of the game.
Van Dijk said, "Everyone was upset. Not just a few of us—everyone. And for good reason. Conor was down on the pitch, clearly hurt, and seeing someone push him off just isn’t a good look.
"You guys have probably seen the clips. For us, it all happened so fast. There was a long ball, Conor challenged for it and went down, then Martinelli pushed him off the pitch, and that set everyone off. We all came together, but in that moment, nobody really knew what was going on. It just looked bad, especially for Martinelli.
"Right now, we’re just thinking about Conor. He’s got medical tests in the next day or so, and we’ll have to adjust."
Liverpool ended up grinding out a hard point at Arsenal, keeping their unbeaten streak alive at ten games. Van Dijk admitted it wasn’t exactly pretty, but he was happy with how they stuck to their plan.
He said, "First, all our thoughts are with Conor. Hopefully, it’s not as bad as it looks, but it doesn’t look great. As for the game, I thought our plan was outstanding.
"We let their centre backs have the ball because we didn’t think they’d be able to hurt us that way, and that’s why they hardly created any chances.
"Sure, it didn’t always look great, but you could go all out and take risks, or you could stick to the plan. We knew a match was 90 minutes, and eventually, we’d get our chances. That’s what happened in the second half.
"We played really well with the ball. Honestly, it felt like we could’ve taken more than just a point, but I’m proud of the team, especially against a side in such good form.
"No team can press for the full 90 minutes as they do at the start, so we just kept at it, made them try to find a way through, and they really struggled.
"The guys worked so hard defensively, and then in the second half, we found the gaps and the right players in between the lines.
"We didn’t create any huge chances, but considering we’re missing two proper strikers, the lads were still brilliant. We’ll take the point and move on."