Liverpool handed blow ahead of Southampton clash as FOUR key players ruled out by Arne Slot
Arne Slot has ruled out four players for Liverpool's trip to Southampton on Sunday, though he did provide a positive update on Virgil van Dijk.
The league leaders are currently five points clear at the top of the table after Manchester City suffered back-to-back defeats ahead of a clash with the club at the bottom of the table.
Liverpool supporters were concerned after seeing captain Virgil van Dijk leave the Netherlands' squad on "medical grounds" ahead of a UEFA Nations League fixture with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, Slot has confirmed the centre-back is available to play against his former club. Alisson Becker is back training with the goalkeeping coach but not yet fit to return on Sunday, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa are still continuing their recoveries.
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Harvey Elliott is making progress after spending an extended period out with a broken foot suffered back in September, having returned to training.
Speaking in his press conference, Slot said: "Virgil is all good. He is training with us today.
“Trent isn’t training with us yet, but he is getting there so we expect him to be back with us soon.
“Harvey is training with us again so that’s the positive thing, he has been out for many weeks but he is on the training ground again with the team. So, that’s a positive thing for him.
“Jota is still apart from the group, same as Federico, who is coming back into the session maybe in one exercise today.
“They are all expected to be back within now and a few weeks, but the last part of the recovery is always the most difficult one. So, let’s wait and see. But Virgil is completely OK.”
The games are coming thick and fast for the Reds, who have clashes with Real Madrid and City next week. Slot doesn't expect Jota and Alisson to be fit, with Alexander Arnold's availability set to be "in between" as he battles to recover from a hamstring issue.
He reiterated that is difficult to assess the situations as the jump to group training sessions is a big one.
“That is something we have to wait and see because I just said that the last few days of a recovery are always the ones that are most tricky,” he responded when asked if the trio will be fit for games against Real and City.
“Because then they have to go from isolated training sessions towards the group training session – and that step is always the most difficult one.
“So, for me it is difficult to judge now and to tell you now if it is going to be one, two or three days or a bit longer."
Liverpool have taken 28 points from 11 games so far, with their only defeat coming at home to Nottingham Forest in September.
Topics: Liverpool, Southampton
Josh Lawless