CONOR BRADLEY BOOST: RIGHT-BACK CLOSE TO RETURN FOR LEEDS CLASH
Arne Slot confirmed that Bradley will miss the Sunderland match but Jeremie Frimpong is also due back next week. Their return provides crucial depth before the AFCON player departures.
Liverpool aims to keep their Premier League win streak going when they play Sunderland at Anfield this Wednesday.
After struggling with six league losses out of seven matches and three straight losses in all competitions, the Reds got back on track last Sunday, beating West Ham United 2-0.
With a packed schedule, Arne Slot is hoping to get some injured players back in action, including Conor Bradley.
Bradley has been out for the last three games due to a muscle injury, but he's now back in training.
Liverpool Gets Injury Boost
The 22-year-old has become the team’s main right-back after Trent Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid this summer.
Bradley has started seven Premier League games and made two substitute appearances, but injuries have limited his playing time.
Arne Slot has said that Bradley will probably miss the match this week, but he should be ready to play against Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday.
Slot also mentioned that Jeremie Frimpong, who hasn't played since getting injured against Eintracht Frankfurt in October, should be back in training next week.
Slot told reporters, "Conor joined a team training session yesterday for the first time."
“It's not fully 100% yet, so we had to take it easy. But the good thing is that he's doing some parts with the group already.
“We expect the same with Jeremie next week, so they’re both coming back. We have a lot of games, so Jeremie will miss out on three more games, even if he trains with us next week. But they are both on their way back.
“I hope Bradley will be ready for Leeds.”
Good Injury News for Liverpool
This news is great for Liverpool, giving Slot more choices at right-back, which means players like Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones can play in their usual positions.
Joe Gomez played really well in the last game against West Ham, and he'll probably keep playing as long as he stays fit.
With Mohamed Salah leaving to join Egypt for the AFCON in mid-December, Frimpong could be important on the right side while he's gone.
Giovanni Leoni injured his ACL in his first game and will probably not play again this season.
ANALYTICAL: WHY £400M-SPENDING LIVERPOOL STILL DESPERATELY NEEDS ARDA GüLER
Liverpool joins rivals Manchester United and Arsenal in the race to sign highly-rated Real Madrid attacking midfielder Arda Güler, following their UCL win.
Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champs, are set to host Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield this Saturday afternoon.
Arne Slot's team hasn't been doing great lately, with only two wins in their last ten Premier League games. They recently tied 3-3 with Leeds United, who are also having a tough time.
But the Reds did get a win in the Champions League on Tuesday, beating Inter Milan 1-0. This gets them closer to qualifying for the next stage.
Now, after that big win in Milan, word is Liverpool wants to sign one of La Liga's biggest stars.
CaughtOffside says that Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in Real Madrid's Arda Güler.
The report also says that Arsenal, who are leading the Premier League right now, also want the Turkish player, who's been playing really well this season.
Guler, who's 20, moved to Real from Fenerbahce in 2023. He's played in over 80 games for the Spanish team in all competitions.
He's scored 15 goals and assisted 18 times during that time. His play for Xabi Alonso's team has caught the attention of quite a few English teams.
The report says that all three Premier League teams are seriously interested in Güler, who mainly plays as an attacking midfielder but can also play on the wing.
Güler's contract with Real Madrid lasts until the end of the 2028/29 season, but it sounds like clubs might try to get him to leave Madrid next year.
Liverpool's manager, Slot, reportedly wants to add more creative players to his team, even after spending over £400 million on new players this summer. He thinks Güler is the right guy for the job.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK DENIES RIFT: MO SALAH'S RANT IS "BLOWN UP" BY MEDIA; I WANT HIM TO STAY
Virgil van Dijk claimed Mohamed Salah's "thrown under the bus" comments haven't affected the team, stating the internal atmosphere and training remain "normal."
Virgil van Dijk claims Mohamed Salah's recent outburst hasn't messed with the Liverpool team's vibe. He said training felt normal.
After Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds, where Salah sat on the bench, he said he felt thrown under the bus by the club, blamed for their bad season, and hinted he might leave in January.
This rant got him in trouble. He didn't travel with the team to Milan for their Champions League game against Inter, which they won 1-0 thanks to a late penalty by Dominik Szoboszlai.
Van Dijk told Sky Sports that even after Salah's comments, things were fine within the team.
It wasn't that hard to deal with. "It's just how he felt after the game," Van Dijk said. When we came in on Sunday, the team felt the same as always.
We know what's up, but the media is blowing it up. We just need to deal with the fact that we had a big game and another one coming up this weekend. We'll see what happens.
When asked if he'd spoken to Salah and what they talked about, Van Dijk said, Of course I spoke to him. But that's private.
Salah's time at Liverpool seems uncertain, but Van Dijk wants him to stay: I've been with Mo for a long time. He's helped me a lot here, and I've helped him. We've done it together.
Salah mentioned issues with the club, feeling benched without reason, and a strained relationship with the manager, suggesting someone at the club doesn't want him there. He also spoke about his contract, saying he thought he'd retire at Liverpool, but now things are uncertain.
He's leaving for the African Cup of Nations soon. I hope he does great. "I don't know what will happen next," Van Dijk added.
I hope he comes back to Liverpool, but it's up to the club and Mo. We're friends no matter what, and we've been through a lot together. We'll see what happens.
Arne Slot's team was short some players in Milan, including Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa.
When asked if Salah had let the team down, Van Dijk responded, I won't say if someone let someone down. He didn't travel because of what he said after the game. He trained normally yesterday. We'll see what happens on Friday when we train again. I'm focused on the team. Mo is still part of the team for now, so we'll see.
Andy Robertson, who has played with Salah for years, hopes he doesn't leave on bad terms.
It's tough. "We're talking about one of the best players ever to play here," Robertson said. I joined at the same time as him. Whatever happened, we're all in this together.
About Salah's future, he said, That's not up to me. I love playing with Mo, and I hope we keep playing together.