Arne Slot has a couple of injury issues to contend with as Liverpool prepare to face Manchester United in their first game after the international break this weekend
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is facing a couple of injury issues as he prepares his side to face Manchester United on Sunday(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool return to action when they host Manchester United in a blockbuster Premier League encounter at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
Arne Slot‘s side endured a torrid run before the international break, losing three matches in a row. The Reds were beaten by Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea within the space of a week.
After a two-week hiatus, this weekend’s game against United gives the Reds the perfect chance to bounce back and return to winning ways, having came out on top in each of their five matches at home this season.
Slot will be hoping that most of his squad return from international duty without any knocks that could rule them out of action. Meanwhile, the break has also allowed some injured players a chance to step up their recovery.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the latest injury news from the Reds…
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The Dutchman played just 45 minutes during Netherlands’ 4-0 win against Finland on the weekend, with Ronald Koeman confirming that the midfielder has been struggling with a hamstring problem.
Gravenberch himself admitted that his withdrawal was a precaution.
Potential return date: October 19, vs Manchester United (H)
Ibrahima Konate
France centre-back Konate was substituted against Chelsea after appearing to suffer an injury problem before the international break. He then decided to team up with the France national team despite confirming he had an issue with his thigh.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt man has since returned home after he didn’t feature in France’s 3-0 win against Azerbaijan. Upon returning to the Reds, Konate will be assessed to see if he is fit enough to start against United this weekend.
Potential return date: Unknown
Ibrahima Konate is an injury doubt ahead of this weekend’s game against Manchester United(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Alisson Becker
The Brazilian limped off during Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in the Champions League, with Slot saying that it was “never good” to see a player limp off the way he did. Alisson did not play for his country against South Korea last week and wasn’t involved against Japan either.
Considering that, Slot is not confident that Alisson will be back to face United. “It depends on how fast the recovery goes, so it’s clear that he is not going to play for Brazil,” Slot said after his side’s defeat against Chelsea.
“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] will be there for the first game after the international break. From there on things can go a bit faster or a bit slower. It’s difficult to say the amount of days and weeks. For the upcoming games he will not be apart of us or the Brazil team.”
Potential return date: Late October
Wataru Endo
Endo did not join up with his international teammates for friendlies against Paraguay and Brazil over the international break, with Japan releasing a conformation statement last week.
“Japan National Team will be without Wataru Endo (Liverpool FC) due to injury in the Kirin Challenge Cup 2025 (October 10th vs. Paraguay in Osaka, October 14th vs. Brazil in Tokyo),” the statement read.
The severity of Endo’s issue is unknown and he could be in line for a return to action on Sunday.
Potential return date: October 19, vs Manchester United (H)
Giovanni Leoni
Italian centre-back Leoni is set to be out for a year after rupturing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last month.
“He’s not in a good place, of course,” Slot said. “He tore his ACL which means that he will be out for around a year. Being so young, coming to a new country, playing so well in your first game, it’s very hard to take the positives. You always try to look at the positive side and that is that he is still so young.
“He still has so many years to go after he recovers from a terrible injury like that.”
Potential return date: Summer 2026
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