The Dutch boss confirmed that three first-team players — Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong, and Alexander Isak — will not feature in the upcoming European showdown.
Reports earlier in the day revealed that while Curtis Jones returned to training at Kirkby, summer signing Isak was notably missing from the session. The Swedish striker, who picked up a groin issue against Eintracht Frankfurt two weeks ago, remains sidelined.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot told reporters:
> “All three are not available for tomorrow. Jeremie and Alisson will also miss the game against Manchester City on Sunday. As for Alex, we’ll have to wait and see. He’s not training with the team yet, so it’s difficult to say when he’ll be back.”
While Alisson and Frimpong’s absences were already expected to extend beyond the international break, the news surrounding Isak brings added frustration. The £125 million forward had only just regained full fitness before suffering his latest setback, disrupting what had looked like a promising start to his Liverpool career.
Frimpong, who recently admitted on social media that his current injury spell has been “really annoying,” is not likely to return until early December. Alisson, meanwhile, continues to recover from a muscle problem that has kept him out for several weeks.
Slot remains cautiously optimistic that Isak could return in time for Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Manchester City, though that will depend on how quickly he progresses in the coming days.
Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper and new right-back may both have to wait until after the November international break to make their comebacks — possibly in the Reds’ clash against Nottingham Forest later this month.
For now, Slot will have to rely on the depth of his squad to navigate two of the toughest fixtures in the calendar — Real Madrid in Europe, followed by a massive domestic test against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
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