On Sunday, Liverpool managed to scrape a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield, which helped them maintain their title challenge. However, two challenging away games against Aston Villa and Manchester City are next on the schedule.
Ahead of the Villa match, Slot confirmed the absence of two important players, presenting a serious issue for the team. Under Slot’s guidance, several players have shown notable improvements, including Cody Gakpo, who has enjoyed a strong season with 16 goals and five assists across 36 appearances. However, Slot revealed that Gakpo would not be available for selection against Villa. Additionally, Joe Gomez is sidelined due to a long-term injury sustained during the FA Cup clash with Plymouth Argyle.
“I think both [Gakpo and Gomez] are not available for tomorrow,” Slot stated. “Cody is close to returning, but Joe will be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury.”
Regarding Gomez, Slot added, “He is doing everything to recover and return to the team, but after just a couple of minutes in his first game back, he re-injured himself. It’s tough for him, especially at this point in the season.”
Gomez is expected to miss a large portion of the season, though he could return in the final stages. Slot noted that surgery might be necessary, but that decision is still under evaluation.
With Gakpo unavailable for the Villa match, Slot now faces the challenge of deciding who will take Gakpo’s spot on the left side of the attack, a role the Dutchman has made his own recently. Both Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez are available, but both have struggled with form recently, making Gakpo’s absence even more problematic at a crucial time.
