THE REAL REASON FLORIAN WIRTZ ONLY TRAINED ONCE BEFORE THE FULHAM MATCH
Arne Slot faces an injury crisis as Liverpool visits Fulham. Get the latest on Florian Wirtz's hamstring and Joe Gomez's return.
Here's how Liverpool's lineup might look for Sunday's game against Fulham in the Premier League.
Arne Slot will be happy to have Joe Gomez back for the match, even if his options are a bit limited right now.
Gomez was playing well at right-back before he had a muscle problem in the win over Brighton. He brought some stability to the position while Conor Bradley was dealing with fitness issues, Jeremie Frimpong was out, and Dominik Szoboszlai was filling in.
Gomez's defensive skills were also helpful to Ibrahima Konate in early December. Liverpool then went on an eight-game unbeaten run, which helped steady things, though questions remain about their attack.
Slot said Gomez would be back in training on Friday, so he could be in the running to play. However, Bradley will likely keep his spot. Frimpong, who has played well recently, is also an option at right-back. Slot suddenly has a lot of choices there, which is a change from recent months.
The same is true on the left, where Milos Kerkez will compete with Andy Robertson for a place in the team. Robertson started the last game against Leeds, but Kerkez could be back in for this one at Craven Cottage. Konate will continue to partner with Virgil van Dijk.
In midfield, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch are hoping to start again, but will Alexis Mac Allister return? He came on as a substitute against Leeds and hasn't been as good as he was last season.
He's not the only one, but if Szoboszlai plays on the right wing, as he has been recently, then Mac Allister should be in line to return. A lot depends on where Frimpong plays.
The big question is what Slot will do with Florian Wirtz. The German player had a good December, including scoring the equalizing goal against Sunderland and the winning goal against Wolves. But Slot said after the Leeds game that they were a bit worried about his hamstring. It's a tricky situation.
Florian only trained once this week because he still felt his hamstring a bit, Slot said. We're trying to be careful without hurting our chances of winning. Missing another game would be a bigger problem if it takes five, six, or seven weeks.
If they decide not to risk Wirtz, Cody Gakpo is ready to replace him on the left. But whoever plays there, Hugo Ekitike needs more help scoring goals. He didn't score against Leeds, and none of his teammates stepped up to help.
With Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations and Alexander Isak recovering from a broken leg, Slot needs all the goalscorers he can get. It would be great if Gakpo could get back to his best in London.
ALISSON "OPEN" TO LIVERPOOL EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARE MASSIVE SWAP DEAL OFFER
With Alisson Becker open to a Juventus move, Liverpool is scouring the market for a replacement ahead of a major summer rebuild.
Liverpool isn’t just sitting around; it’s actively searching for someone to take Alisson Becker’s spot since Juventus looks serious about making a bid for their veteran keeper. Even though Alisson’s got a year left on his deal after the club triggered an extension back in March, he might leave this summer.
He’s been Liverpool’s go-to guy in goal since he arrived from Roma in 2018; he’s played 332 games, cost £67 million, and for years, he was untouchable. But injuries have piled up during the 2025/26 season, and it’s starting to look like his time at Anfield could be coming to an end.
Juventus are now right in the mix. Apparently, Alisson isn’t against the idea of leaving Liverpool, and Juventus could even throw their own goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, into the deal for the Brazilian.
Juve are ready to offer Alisson a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an extra year as an option. Sky Sports says Liverpool already knows what’s happening and is getting their ducks in a row before a massive transfer window.
The club’s facing a big summer. Salah and Robertson are going, and now they might need a new keeper too. Giorgi Mamardashvili has stepped up when Alisson was out, playing 18 games across all competitions, but he’s injured himself, leaving Slot with just Freddie Woodman as his only fit option.
Recently, Slot was asked if losing Alisson at the same time as Robertson and Salah would be too much. He said, “The club makes decisions it thinks are right. If this happens, there's a reason behind it, maybe another good reason why we did what we did.”
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t make transfers on a whim. Decisions are thought through, with the club’s interests always at heart.
Regarding keeping Alisson for his experience, Slot admitted that’s one argument, but there are others and, ultimately, the club will decide what’s best. Alisson’s contract still has a year left.
When pressed about Juventus, Slot replied, “Ali’s main focus is clear; he wants to get back in goal for Liverpool as soon as possible and then play for Brazil. That’s his short- and mid-term future.”
LIVERPOOL WARNED TO OFFER CURTIS JONES NEW CONTRACT BEFORE 14-MONTH DEADLINE
Analysis: Curtis Jones’ elite passing stats and why Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool cannot afford to lose the versatile midfielder.
Liverpool really needs to sort out a new contract for Curtis Jones before they make the same mistake it did with Luis Diaz. That’s what the Inside Liverpool panel thinks, especially now that Diaz is lighting up Bayern Munich and making Liverpool’s transfer moves look pretty questionable.
Bayern’s front three, with Diaz in the mix, have racked up 100 goals across all competitions this season – the first time any non-Spanish team has done that. Diaz himself has bagged 26 goals in 46 matches and just scored against PSG in the Champions League semi-final.
Looking back, Liverpool probably wish they hadn’t let Diaz walk for £65 million last summer. Since then, fans at Anfield haven’t seen anyone who brings what he did: that relentless pressing, always looming as a threat on the counter. Sure, they’ve brought in Rio Ngumoha, a teenager, just 17, but Arne Slot, the coach, knows you can’t just expect him to fill those shoes right away.
On talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, Jermaine Pennant, who has played for the club, said that Liverpool has to bring in another proven attacker over the summer. Pennant’s point: Diaz was great whether he played in the middle or on the left, and Liverpool needs someone with that kind of flexibility. You don’t want to sign a backup like Hugo Ekitike and then end up overcrowding with too many strikers when the main guy returns.
Now, Jones could end up in the same boat this summer. There’s a lot of uncertainty around his future, and when you look at the numbers, he’s only got 14 months left on his contract. Several clubs in England and Europe are watching, and he’s only started 15 games for Liverpool this season.
Even though he hasn’t played much, Jones is impressing; he’s second only to Rodri in midfielder passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He’s also ranked second behind Moises Caicedo for passing accuracy, and right behind Rayan Cherki for carries. Pennant said the club can’t afford to let him go: Jones is so versatile; you can play him anywhere in midfield or even right back. He knows the club, loves it, and helps connect the squad.
Jones has been one of the top performers recently. Pennant thinks Liverpool should offer him a new deal, especially since the squad is thinning out and they’ve already lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, it’s up to Jones if he wants to stay or move for more game time, but Liverpool has to make the offer while they still can.
Must Read
