Liverpool without 5 players vs Nottingham Forest as Alexander Isak update emerges

The Reds head to Nottingham looking to build on last week's encouraging back-to-back victories, against an opponent Arne Slot has yet to beat in three previous meetings

Liverpool injury latest, with updates on Alexander Isak(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool will be without five players for Sunday's Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest.

The Reds have struggled with a lack of numbers over recent weeks, particularly at right-back, which has been a problem position throughout the campaign. With no Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai or Joe Gomez available to start Liverpool's last Premier League game, Wataru Endo was deployed in defense.

That won't be the case at the City Ground, though, with the Japan captain out for the foreseeable future due to the ankle injury he sustained against Sunderland last week. Curtis Jones started in that role for the FA Cup win over Brighton, and could do the same at the City Ground.

But Slot confirmed in Thursday's press conference that Gomez could be available to start. The defender is certainly a more natural replacement at right-back.

The Liverpool boss also confirmed Frimpong will be available just yet.

"Jeremie will not be involved this weekend yet," said the former Feyenoord boss.

"We hope he will be involved next week [against West Ham] if things go as planned."

Frimpong could be back next week(Image: Getty Images)

Bradley remains absent, as does long-term injury concern Giovanni Leoni, but Szoboszlai is available once again after missing the last league outing through suspension.

Alexander Isak is the final player missing, and Slot provided a lengthy update on his recovery from a broken leg during his pre-match press conference.

He said: "I think it’s nice for him to go on the pitch, it’s nice for us to see him there because, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but you do know as a player, you arrive in the final stages of your rehab [when you get back onto the pitch], where as long as you’re in the gym you are not on the pitch yet, that’s not the nicest part.

"The next step is, of course, doing work with the ball, which every player likes most, and then the next step is going into the group, and then it takes a while before you’re ready to play.

"But it’s nice that the rehab goes well, that’s a compliment for him, but also to our medical staff.

"It will be around that period of time – end of March, start of April when he’s hopefully back with the group.

"When you’re back with the group it’s not to say that you are ready to play, let alone start, a game of football because, again, he’s been out for months and the last time he’s been out for months I think we could all see that it took him a while before he was the player we have signed from Newcastle."