Alexander Isak start to life at Liverpool has been far from smooth, and Arne Slot has shared a disappointing injury update ahead of their Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. There were high hopes when Isak arrived to spearhead the Reds' attack after his British-record move from Newcastle United, but his battle with fitness issues has derailed those ambitions. The forward limped off during their 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt and hasn't featured since.
Six defeats in seven: Slot's storm intensifies
Six losses in their last seven matches, the latest a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, have left Liverpool on the edge of crisis. Four consecutive league defeats have allowed Arsenal to open a seven-point gap to them at the summit. The manager's task isn't getting easier with mounting injuries. Alongside Isak, several key players remain unavailable for Saturday’s clash with Villa. Star goalkeeper Alisson Becker continues to recover from a muscle issue, while Jeremie Frimpong is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Midfielder Curtis Jones, who was forced off in the recent loss to Brentford, is also ruled out. Teenage defender Giovanni Leoni is still nursing a long-term injury, which might keep him out until the business end of the campaign if not the entirety of it. Amid the gloom and despair, there is a flicker of good news as Ryan Gravenberch has returned to full training. The Dutch midfielder twisted his ankle against Manchester United earlier this month and has missed three crucial matches, during which Liverpool conceded seven goals. However, there is a growing sense of optimism regarding his availability if he comes through training unscathed.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesSlot provides injury updates on Isak & Gravenberch
Slot offered a mixed update in his pre-match press conference, outlining the fragile state of his squad.
"Ryan trained with us yesterday. The other two (Isak and Jones) didn't yet," Slot said. "In the end phase of the injury, things can slow down a bit or things can go faster but Ryan trained with us yesterday and he will train with us today and then we will make the call whether he is able to start. The other two are 99.9% sure not in the squad on Saturday."
Slot happy with Liverpool's squad depth despite previous comments
Slot made wholesale changes to his squad that bowed out of the Carabao Cup following the loss to Palace. However, despite the mounting criticism about his team selection, the Dutch manager remained defiant and hit back at suggestions that his squad lacks quality or depth. Instead, the former Feyernoord coach blamed the club’s injury crisis and the gruelling fixture schedule for the team’s collapse in form.
"We have enough to play the games, but I have to take care of a few of them, why I made the decision not to play seven or eight," he said. "I am happy with the team, the quality we have and convinced by the strategy and policy we have. But that makes it the issue, not all of them had a proper pre-season or have been injured, so when three or four are injured you go back to 15 or 16. I am convinced 20 is enough but we are struggling to keep them fit for obvious reasons.
"Alex came to us on September 1, and it has been harder to keep them fit, so if a few aren't available, it comes to the same players. Maybe last season we were lucky, and now unlucky? But we've had a few away games with only a few days' rest in between. No excuses, before people say…We have to manage the situation, three games in seven or eight days. So nothing to do with squad depth, more just injuries and availability of players."
Getty Images SportVilla visit comes at a crucial time
With Isak sidelined, the stage is set for Hugo Ekitike to lead the Liverpool attack against Villa. The visitors have a few injury issues of their own. Andres Garcia, Youri Tielemans, and Emiliano Buendia are all doubts for the trip to Merseyside, while young midfielder Harvey Elliott, who is on loan from Liverpool, is ineligible to face his parent club.
