Arne Slot didn’t hold back in his latest press conference. He gave Liverpool fans a full rundown on the injury front before the team heads to Nottingham Forest. With the season getting serious and every point starting to matter more, these updates hit a little harder.

Lately, Liverpool’s defence has looked like a patchwork job. Midfielders filling in at the back, everyone shifting around. Slot talked through all of it, focusing on Jeremie Frimpong, Alexander Isak, Joe Gomez, and Wataru Endo.

First, Frimpong’s still not ready. “Jeremie will not be involved this weekend. We hope he will be involved next week if things go as planned,” Slot said. So, if things go right, he’s not far off, but Forest comes too soon.

Endo’s news stings more. “Wata will be out for a long time. We don’t know exactly how long.” That’s a blow; he’s left a gap in midfield, and now the team has to get creative with the lineup in the middle of a busy stretch.

Now, some good news. Joe Gomez is back. Slot sounded confident: “I think Joe is ready to start [against Forest]. Yes, he is.” After weeks of watching midfielders juggle defensive duties, fans will breathe easier seeing Gomez back in his natural spot.

Since January, guys like Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have played at right back. It shows Liverpool’s flexibility, sure, but also the toll these injuries have taken. Getting Gomez back isn’t just about plugging a hole. It brings balance. He knows what he’s doing, and that experience matters as the pressure ramps up.

Slot kept praising the players who’ve stepped up, and honestly, they deserve it. But having a real defender back just settles things. It lets everyone else get back to what they do best.

On Alexander Isak, Slot laid out the timeline. “Alex has been on the [training] pitch with his running shoes for the first time this week, so it will still be a while… It will be somewhere around the international break. That depends on whether he has a setback. It’ll be the end of March, start of April when he’s back with the group, but it doesn’t mean he’s ready to start playing straight away.” There’s no rush. Everyone knows how important Isak is, especially after joining with so much expectation. For now, Hugo Ekitike has stepped up front, but as the fixture list gets packed, the team can’t afford to push anyone too hard.

So what’s the big picture? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Gomez is back, which helps. Frimpong is almost there. Endo’s out for a while, and Isak’s still working his way back. If Liverpool can get through these next few games without more injuries, they’ll start getting key players back just as the season hits its peak. That could make all the difference.

Liverpool could’ve easily let that painful finish against Manchester City drag them down. Instead, they bounced back with real grit, a tough Premier League win over Sunderland and then a smooth FA Cup victory against Brighton on Saturday night.

That win over Brighton felt solid. Sure, they’re struggling in the league, but let’s not forget, they knocked out Manchester United in the last round, and, on their day, they can push anyone.

Honestly, Liverpool deserved even more goals. The officials got a couple of calls wrong, and Rio Ngumoha was especially unlucky to have his goal ruled out.

I have to mention that the first goal – I loved it. Milos Kerkez set up Curtis Jones, and you just don’t see full-backs combining like that very often. Real awareness from both of them. Special stuff.

I’d been hoping Arne Slot would take the FA Cup seriously, so it was good to see him name such a strong lineup, even with a few changes mixed in.

Alisson Becker's start was a bit of a shock, but it paid off. That save from Diego Gomez before halftime kept things steady. That’s two clean sheets on the bounce, which has to boost the defenders’ confidence.

You could see the difference late on at Sunderland, too. There wasn’t that familiar sense of panic as they protected a narrow lead. That’s how it needs to be for the rest of the season.

There’s just no room for big mistakes now. With so much riding on these last three competitions, one slip in a cup and you’re out. Mess up in the league, and top-four hopes are toast.

One thing still nags at me: Liverpool keeps starting games so slowly. It’s almost a running joke now.

Maybe that’s just Slot’s way; he likes control, not the wild, fast starts you’d see with Klopp. But this season, it’s way more obvious.

It definitely takes the edge off home games sometimes. The crowd doesn’t have much to get excited about early on. Clearly, Slot wants Liverpool to figure out the opponent’s plan, then turn up the tempo once they’ve got a grip on things.

But other teams have noticed. Some are coming out flying, trying to catch us cold. It can feel like Liverpool is showing too much respect instead of just backing themselves.

I get the cautious approach after those poor results earlier this season, but that’s behind us. It’s time to come out of the blocks faster.

Now that the title race is done, Liverpool should go all out for the FA Cup. It’s a real shot at a trophy.

Kerkez is growing in confidence.

What a turnaround for Milos Kerkez. Against Brighton, he was Liverpool’s best player, and it’s not the first game he’s stood out lately.

People forget how tough it is to step up and play for Liverpool. Sure, Kerkez has Premier League experience, but playing in front of 10,000 at Bournemouth every other week is nothing like the pressure and spotlight you get at Anfield.

Only Manchester United comes close to matching Liverpool’s intensity in that sense. The sheer size of the club – it’s massive.

Kerkez struggled at first, and playing in a team that wasn’t firing didn’t help. But now you can see his confidence. He’s proving that the signings Liverpool made last summer have huge potential; they’re already starting to deliver.

And as a left-back, Kerkez is bringing some of that same energy and drive Andy Robertson has given the team for years. He’s showing he’s a more than worthy replacement.