Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield this Saturday, with the champions preparing for what could be a challenging encounter.<\/p>\n
Liverpool fitness update ahead of the Seagulls\u2019 visit<\/p>\n
Arne Slot addressed several injury concerns during his pre-match press conference, following the midweek Champions League victory over Inter Milan.<\/p>\n
The manager confirmed that Federico Chiesa, who missed recent action due to illness, has returned to full training.
\n\u201cFederico is no longer ill. He trained yesterday and again today, so I expect him to be available for the squad tomorrow,\u201d Slot said.<\/p>\n
However, there was less positive news regarding Wataru Endo and Cody Gakpo. \u201cThey\u2019ll both be out for weeks,\u201d Slot explained. \u201cCody has a muscle issue, and Wata is dealing with an ankle injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slot also revealed he is keeping a close eye on Alexander Isak after the striker took a knock in Italy.
\n\u201cAlex picked up a hit in the first half, so we need to see how he has recovered today. If he\u2019s fit, I\u2019ll decide whether he and Hugo Ekitike start together again or if we go in another direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Concerns around Isak\u2019s form were already raised after he struggled with Inter\u2019s intensity, leading one analyst to note that he \u201creally struggled with the physicality and tempo.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Chiesa returning, Gakpo still absent, and Isak potentially limited, the attacking load may fall heavily on Hugo Ekitike.<\/p>\n
And with Mo Salah not yet fully reintegrated into the side, Liverpool\u2019s forward options could be stretched, making Slot\u2019s selections even more significant.<\/p>\n
Salah, Isak and Liverpool\u2019s attacking picture<\/p>\n
The focus will naturally shift to whether Salah will play before leaving for AFCON duty.<\/p>\n
Slot confirmed he still needs to hold a detailed discussion with the Egyptian star.
\n\u201cI will speak with Mo this morning. The outcome of that conversation will determine what Saturday looks like,\u201d he said \u2014 leaving fans waiting to see whether Salah returns to the squad or stays out.<\/p>\n
With Chiesa recovered and Ekitike ready to step up, Slot\u2019s handling of injuries and his front-line choices will be critical as Liverpool aim to stay unbeaten and maintain momentum heading into the festive schedule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield this Saturday, with the champions preparing for what could be a challenging encounter. Liverpool fitness update ahead of the Seagulls\u2019 visit Arne Slot addressed several injury concerns during his pre-match press conference, following the midweek Champions League victory over Inter Milan. The manager confirmed that Federico Chiesa, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":56533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-10-768x462.jpg.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56631"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56632,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56631\/revisions\/56632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}