Liverpool injury news and return dates including Alexander Isak and Rio Ngumoha

Liverpool has been ravaged by injuries this season, with Conor Bradley having undergone successful surgery on the knee injury he suffered against Arsenal last week

Alexander Isak is currently injured(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool is back in action this weekend, welcoming Premier League team Burnley to Anfield.

Arne Slot's players will refocus on their quest for a top-four finish in the league, fresh off confirming their FA Cup progression with a 4-1 victory over Barnsley. The Reds also have the remaining matches of the Champions League's league phase to contend with later this month, meaning they're still battling on three fronts this season.

It's no surprise then that Slot's squad has been hit hard by injuries throughout the campaign, with one of the most recent being particularly severe. Full-back Conor Bradley's season came to an abrupt halt when he sustained a knee injury just minutes before the final whistle in Liverpool's draw against Arsenal.

On Wednesday, the 22-year-old announced a successful surgery to address the issue, declaring his "comeback starts now."

"A big blow, but surgery is done, so the comeback starts now. It won't be for a little while, but I already can't wait to get back playing for Liverpool and Northern Ireland. Thanks for all the support," Bradley wrote on Instagram

Bradley's teammates rallied around him upon seeing the social media update. While Liverpool hasn't provided a specific timeline for his recovery, it's anticipated that he won't feature again during the 2025-26 season. This would suggest a potential return during preseason ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Rio Ngumoha picked up an injury on Monday(Image: Getty Images)

Joining him on the treatment table following the Reds' FA Cup third-round victory over Barnsley was Rio Ngumoha. The 17-year-old put in an encouraging display against the Tykes before being substituted in the 73rd minute. "That's cramp, I hope," Slot commented after the match. "I expect it to be cramp. Ngumoha's (injury) is not so strange because he hasn't made that many minutes this season, and today he made (73).

"That's good for him, I think. Without wanting to disrespect (Barnsley), the intensity levels in the Premier League are even higher, so that is a nice taste for Rio to keep working really, really, really hard to be able to play 90 at this level."

If Slot's assessment proves accurate and it was simply cramp, Liverpool fans should expect to see Ngumoha back in contention for Saturday's home clash with Burnley at Anfield.

Fellow forward Mohamed Salah is also unavailable for domestic duties, though not through injury. The 33-year-old has led Egypt to the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals, where his team faces his former Reds colleague Sadio Mane and Senegal on Wednesday.

Should the Egyptians triumph, they will compete in Sunday's AFCON final, but a defeat would see them feature in Saturday's third-place playoff. This means the earliest Salah could return for Liverpool is next week's Champions League trip to Marseille.

Meanwhile, Alexander Isak remains sidelined for a while as he recuperates from the lower leg injury sustained during December's clash with Tottenham. Isak was compelled to go under the knife and isn't expected back on the pitch until March at the earliest.

Finally, Giovanni Leoni is also working his way back to fitness, with a targeted return scheduled for summer 2026. The 18-year-old suffered a devastating ACL injury on his Anfield debut last September and was swiftly ruled out for an extended spell.

Recently, Leoni said: "As soon as I hit the ground, I said to Conor Bradley, my teammate, 'I've done my cruciate.' It had never happened to me (before), but it was a strange feeling, I thought, 'That's it, period.' A great, strong pain, the strongest pain I have felt in life.

"Now the hardest part is over. I'm doing rehab, I'm in the swimming pool, the gym. For a footballer, an injury like this can be the most difficult moment of his career, but now I just want to train my head to come back stronger than before. I think that's the key thing: the head can do most of the work."