Things spotted from Liverpool training ahead of the Premier League fixture against Tottenham.
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Arne Slot will have depleted options when Liverpool travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League (17.30 GMT).
A mixture of injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) means that up to eight players could be unavailable for the encounter.
Mo Salah has departed to represent Egypt at AFCON, with Slot insisting that Liverpool have moved on from the saga that played out in public. With Cody Gakpo unavailable due to a muscle injury, the Reds will be without their first-choice wingers. Gakpo’s injury is not as serious as first thought, but he will not be able to play against Spurs and has been ruled out of next weekend’s clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.
In addition, Joe Gomez is unavailable after suffering an issue in last week’s 2–0 win over Brighton. He joins Gakpo, Wataru Endo (ankle), and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) on the treatment table, along with well-regarded youngsters Stefan Bajčetić and Jayden Danns (both hamstring).
While Conor Bradley returns from suspension and Jeremie Frimpong is set to be in the squad after recovering from a two-month-long hamstring complaint, Slot will still be short of players against Spurs. In total, he has 18 first-team players fit, including third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and Rio Ngumoha.
As a result, Liverpool could look to supplement their bench with some youngsters from the under-21s. The Reds uploaded footage from Friday’s training session, with Kieran Morrison among those featured. The 19-year-old is one of the standout players in the youth set-up and is capable of playing in a variety of positions. This season, he has recorded two goals and four assists in 14 games.
Morrison made his Liverpool debut in a 3–0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup earlier this season and was also on the bench for a 3–2 defeat by Brentford in the Premier League.
Slot may also include either Calvin Ramsay or Trey Nyoni in his set-up. Both have featured in the reserves several times this campaign. Given that Bradley and Frimpong are back and Endo is unavailable, midfielder Nyoni could get the nod over right-back Ramsay.
Tommy Pilling, 21, was also spotted in training although the midfielder is yet to be called up for a senior game.