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As Arne Slot's pre-match press conference unfolded at the AXA Training Centre on Friday, the Liverpool boss hinted that there might have been some injury setbacks when he was asked about transfers.
Will Liverpool sign a center-back in January? That isn't something that he is thinking about at the moment, Slot replied, in part because his side has bigger and more pressing issues in other areas.
A short while later, he revealed two new muscle injuries. While Alisson Becker is back from a hamstring issue and Alexander Isak could feature against Nottingham Forest, Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley are both now sidelined, in what is undoubtedly a major blow.
In the case of Bradley, in particular, that leaves Liverpool light in his position. For Wirtz, meanwhile, this looked, on paper at least, like a run of fixtures where he might be able to leave more of a mark.
Bradley is set to be out for around three weeks, Slot said. Jeremie Frimpong, his other right-back option, is not going to be back before then. Wirtz won't be absent for as long, but will still be missed.
And with those two players unavailable — two who would have been certain to start at least one, if not both, of the next two games, against Nottingham Forest and PSV — that leaves Slot with a headache.
"Joe Gomez can play [right-back] but Joe Gomez has played, I think if I’m correct, two times 90 minutes throughout the whole of 2025," the Liverpool boss outlined.
"So, if we want to keep him available longer, it’s maybe a bit of a risk to play him seven times in 22 days. He missed out on a training session yesterday, by the way, as well, but we are expecting him to train today."
Given that Gomez won't be able to play every minute at full-back — and, of course, might be needed at center-back at some point in that period — someone else will have to step in there at times.
Dominik Szoboszlai has done so already this season, but Curtis Jones was another option name-checked by his manager. He played there last season, and with Wirtz out, Szoboszlai might be needed to remain as the number 10.
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Either way, Gomez and Jones look to be the players whose minutes will increase the most as a result of the injuries. And both are deserving of a chance based on the evidence of this season to date.
Gomez, many would argue, could have been worth bringing into the team at center-back, given Ibrahima Konate's struggles at various points. Now, he will get his chance alongside the Frenchman.
Likewise, Jones has largely played well when selected, but has been limited to only being on the pitch for around a third of Liverpool's Premier League campaign so far.
Though the circumstances are far from ideal and Liverpool will miss both Bradley and Wirtz, two players who are deserving of an increased opportunity are about to get their chance.
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