Liverpool missing 3 players for Man City game as Arne Slot faces Alexander Isak decision

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Liverpool will be without three players as it takes on Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend, but Alexander Isak could return and make the substitutes' bench.

Isak has been missing since he went off at half-time in Liverpool's win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League with a groin issue. Hugo Ekitike is likely to start but the Swede, who is set to go on international duty, could be an option at some point in the second half.

While Isak is back, there is still going to be a delay before Liverpool has Jeremie Frimpong available again. The right-back won't be back immediately after the November internationals, with no exact date placed on his return yet.

Alisson Becker should be back to face Nottingham Forest, though, and Giovanni Leoni will be out for months with an ACL injury.

Aside from those players, Liverpool has a clean bill of health as it looks to chase down Asenal in the title race. The Gunners could be 10 points ahead by the time the Reds kick off this weekend.

"I'm known as being a manager who prefers not to change but I couldn't do anything different to what I did," Slot said on Friday. "Then of course we brought new players in and they have to adapt.

Arne Slot speaks to Alexander Isak before he came on against Everton.

Arne Slot speaks to Alexander Isak before he came on against Everton.

"Ryan Gravenberch missed the first two games of the season, (Alexis) Mac Allister was out the whole pre-season, Conor Bradley wasn't able to play, and Jeremie Frimpong wasn't able to play many games.

"Alexander Isak came in and had to do pre-season inside the season. You could say 'Why do you play him?', but then he wouldn't be fit until the end of the season.

"We knew this before when we signed him that it was going to take three to six months until he's up to his usual level. But if I never play him, I can't bring him to that level.

"There have been obvious reasons why we've had to change more than I would like. Mac Allister, as an example, if you miss out on pre-season, then you're not ready to play three games in seven days.

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"If you do, you will get injuries, and I can show multiple examples to you — where Alex, by the way, is one — but also from other clubs, which I will not do because then journalists will go to the club and say 'Arne Slot said something about your players'.

"But it's so obvious for me, and I'm a bit more, you can maybe feel it, a bit like 'Jesus, why don't you see these things? Why are you talking about me changing?' when it's so obvious why."

Liverpool.com says: This is a massive game for both sides. Neither Liverpool nor Manchester City can afford to fall too far behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race, so a win at the Etihad Stadium would be huge.

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