Image Credits: Imago Images
Sunday’s visit to Everton carries a lot of weight this weekend, and in more ways than one for Liverpool.
It will be the first league meeting between Everton and Liverpool staged at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton’s new Bramley-Moore Dock home. Everton fans are no doubt ready to create a cauldron of noise for the opening derby at their new ground.
For Liverpool, the stakes are enormous. Freshly eliminated 4-0 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, the Reds sit fifth on 52 points – a position that, thanks to England securing a fifth UEFA Champions League berth via the European Performance Spot, would still deliver a return to Europe’s top table.
With Chelsea (48), Brentford, Everton and Fulham all lurking within striking distance, every point matters. Slip up at Hill Dickinson and the Reds hand momentum to a chasing pack that would love nothing more than to bundle Liverpool out of the Champions League places.
Unfortunately, Slot will be forced to tackle it with a patched-up squad. Here are the seven players set to miss the derby.
Hugo Ekitike
The freshest and cruelest blow. The French striker ruptured his Achilles tendon after slipping on the Anfield turf during Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to PSG and was stretchered off. Liverpool have confirmed he is out for the remainder of the season and the summer’s World Cup, with surgery still to be scheduled.
Alisson Becker
The Brazilian No.1 has been nursing a recurring hamstring problem that first flared during the Champions League round-of-16 win over Galatasaray. Alisson himself insists he has not suffered a new injury and is aiming to be fully fit by the end of April, meaning the derby comes too soon.
Joe Gomez
The defender was introduced as a substitute against PSG on Tuesday but lasted just 22 minutes before asking to come off, telling Slot he felt unable to sprint and wanted to avoid aggravating an issue. Slot has since confirmed Gomez is not fit for Sunday.
Conor Bradley
Bradley has been out since January’s goalless draw at Arsenal, suffering serious bone and ligament damage in his left knee. He is out until the end of the season
Giovanni Leoni
The 19-year-old Italian tore his ACL on his Liverpool debut in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton in September and has been rehabbing at the AXA Training Centre ever since. He has only recently returned to grass training and is not expected back in action until the end of the season.
Wataru Endo
The Japanese midfielder sustained a serious foot injury that required surgery in January and has been ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season. Slot has stated that the rehabilitation plan is now geared around getting Endo ready in time for the World Cup rather than rushing him back for Liverpool.
Jack Grealish
The on-loan Manchester City forward has been one of Everton’s signings of the season, but his campaign is over. Grealish underwent surgery on a stress fracture in his foot — an injury picked up in January’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa — and has confirmed he will not feature again this term, a blow that also threatens his England World Cup hopes.
