Liverpool head coach Arne Slot does not expect either Alisson or Diogo Jota to be available for next Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid, but Trent Alexander-Arnold has a chance of being fit.
Alisson is slowly stepping up his training load at Kirkby having been sidelined since early October with a hamstring injury.
Caoimhin Kelleher will continue to deputise away to Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday and the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper is also set to face the European champions in midweek.
“We are careful with everyone, especially when it comes to muscle injuries,” Slot said.
“Ali is back in training with the goalkeeper coach, but he is not training with the team yet. That is expected soon and then let’s wait and see where he is in terms of match fitness. He’s getting better and better.
“Trent isn’t training with us yet but he is getting there. Jota is still apart from the group, the same as Federico (Chiesa), who is maybe coming back in the session with one exercise today.”
Alexander-Arnold did not go away on England duty due to a minor hamstring injury he suffered against Aston Villa before the international break, while Jota has missed the past six matches with a chest problem.
Asked whether Alisson, Alexander-Arnold or Jota had any chance of featuring either against Real Madrid next Wednesday or against Manchester City the following Sunday, Slot added: “That is something we have to wait and see.
“The last few days of recovery is always the most tricky as they have to go from isolated training sessions to the group training sessions.
“It’s difficult for me to judge now whether it will be one, two, three days or a bit longer.
“With Alisson and Jota, I don’t expect them to be available for that game (against Madrid). With Trent it is going to be in between.”
Captain Virgil van Dijk is fit to start against Southampton having been released early from international duty by Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman, while Harvey Elliott has resumed full training after recovering from a broken foot.
“It was a blow for Harvey and for us when he got injured,” Slot said. “He was out for such a long time, nearly three months. Now we have to give him time to come back to his normal level.
“Training with us again is different to being on top of your game again, but I’m very fortunate that he’s back with the amount of games we’ve got coming up.”
Slot dismissed suggestions that the upcoming games against Madrid or City would influence his team selection against Southampton on Sunday.
“We have an incredible fixture list coming up starting with Southampton and that is by far the most important game,” he said.
“If you want to enjoy going into those other games, the best thing you can do is go into them with a win.
“The other two games have no impact on my team selection but what does have an impact is the playing style of Southampton, the players we have coming back from South America, and the players coming back from injuries.”
(Carl Recine/Getty Images))
