'Not going to happen': Arne Slot makes latest Liverpool injury blow admission ahead of Man City & Newcastle

Arne Slot has provided another fitness update on his team ahead of Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures against Manchester City and Newcastle United in the next six days.

The Reds have little time to stew over their draw against Aston Villa as their next step towards the Premier League title is just days away. They will return to action on Sunday against Manchester City, following Arsenal’s clash with West Ham on Saturday.

If Mikel Arteta’s side can beat the Irons, they will close the gap on Liverpool to five points. The Reds were denied the chance to go ten points clear with their midweek clash, with Darwin Nunez once again coming under fire following his mammoth miss to score the winning goal.

Liverpool have had multiple fitness concerns this season and could be faced with another significant blow following uncertainty with Conor Bradley. The right-back was brought on in the second half against Villa but was forced off shortly before full-time.

Slot initially said: “It is difficult but he felt a bit when he made a sprint. He tried to continue but had to go out. All the time with injuries, I always say if a player wants to go out himself, that's not a promising sign.”

The boss has since provided further information and has ruled him out of Liverpool’s upcoming two games

Latest Liverpool injury news

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Slot gave a promising update on Cody Gakpo, who has missed the last two outings against Wolves and Villa. When asked if the Dutch forward would be back to face Man City, Slot admitted he was hopeful but he would have to wait and see.

He said: “I’m not 100 percent sure. He hasn’t trained with the team yet, maybe he does a bit today but I don’t know exactly. It will be a close call.”

The boss also confirmed Joe Gomez’s long-term absence, following recent surgery on his hamstring.

“He will be back maybe just before the end of the season,” Slot continued. “And of course, these two players are not injured but they have come back from an injury — Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold. So that’s also the reason they don’t play 90 minutes five times in a row in 15 days, because that would be a big risk. You could see this yesterday with Conor Bradley.”

The right-back is currently being assessed following his situation against Villa, and Slot has confirmed there is no clarity just yet on how serious the injury is.

“We don’t know yet but I would be completely surprised if he is involved in the Sunday game or the Wednesday game against Newcastle. So you can assume that’s not going to happen,” he said.

Liverpool’s next Premier League games

Liverpool have a tough run of fixtures coming up, starting with Man City on Sunday. The Reds beat the reigning champions 2-0 last time at Anfield thanks to a Gakpo goal and a penalty from Mohamed Salah. They will make the trip to the Etihad this weekend in hopes to bank another win.

Newcastle then await the trip to Merseyside following their previous six-goal thriller at St James’ Park. The two sides settled for a 3-3 draw, with Curtis Jones getting himself on the scoresheet alongside a Salah brace. You can see how Liverpool’s remaining fixtures look right here, as they hope to keep a significant lead over closest rivals Arsenal.

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