Mohamed Salah is in contention to return from injury when Liverpool face Brentford at the Gtech Stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also confirmed that Alisson, Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are available again. The former two missed last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Burnley through illness, while Bradley was granted compassionate leave following the death of his father.
“Mo is back in full training,” Klopp said. “That brings him automatically into contention. “Ibou (Konate) is not suspended any more, Joe (Gomez) is fit again, Conor (Bradley) is back, Ali (Becker) is back so that is all positive.”
Liverpool will definitely be without Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Brentford game. The Athletic reported earlier this week that the 25-year-old will be unavailable for next Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, effectively ruling him out of the Brentford match and Wednesday’s home game against Luton Town.
Klopp confirmed Alexander-Arnold’s absence, as well as ruling Thiago out after the Spaniard sustained a muscle injury last week.
“Thiago, no and Trent, no,” Klopp added. “I was not really aware of it but I got the news that there was a discussion about we might have forced Trent back because of two setbacks. It is really unfortunate and nobody wants that but different cases, different scenarios and as long as I am here we never forced anyone back and never will.”
Asked about the injuries to Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai, who has missed Liverpool’s last four games through injury, Klopp replied: “Serious, yes. It is a super intense period.
“People think about the final but before that it is Brentford and Luton. I didn’t think for a second about the final yet. Before that, we have two games which is as bad as they cannot play. I think with Dom it will be around that time, we will see and Trent maybe a week or two longer.
“It is not great. I am not sure Dom has a chance for the final but maybe.”
Salah, 31, has missed Liverpool’s last eight matches in all competitions due to his Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) commitments with Egypt and the subsequent hamstring injury he suffered in their second group game.
Egypt were knocked out of AFCON by DR Congo on penalties in their last-16 tie on January 28, but Salah’s injury meant he was still unavailable for Liverpool’s league games against Arsenal and Burnley.
Salah remains Liverpool’s top scorer this season despite his extended absence, contributing 18 goals and nine assists in 27 matches across all competitions.
(Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
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