Liverpool Face Inter Milan Problem With Key Absences
Liverpool head into their Champions League tie towards Inter Milan with accidents casting an extended shadow over Arne Slot’s preparations. The supervisor, who guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2024-25, has confirmed that Cody Gakpo will miss a number of matches, whereas Federico Chiesa stays a late health concern. With a trimmed squad and tough decisions forward, this fixture is arriving at a demanding second.
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Slot revealed that Gakpo “sadly picked up an harm in our final recreation we performed towards Leeds and he will probably be out for a number of weeks,” a setback that disrupts Liverpool’s rhythm in assault. The Dutch ahead has been central to the supervisor’s evolving system, and the timing of the harm limits Liverpool’s choices at a crucial stage of the competitors.
Picture: IMAGO
Harm Considerations Round Arne Slot’s Squad
The supervisor is travelling with a 19-man group that features three goalkeepers and rising centre again Wellity Fortunate. Mo Salah has not been included, and the absence of senior gamers means Liverpool strategy Milan with a stripped again bench.
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Coaching classes on Monday had been noticeable for these lacking. Gakpo, Chiesa and Wataru Endo had been all absent, leaving Slot to regulate each his tactical plan and the stability of the squad. For a fixture that calls for precision and composure, the timing is way from preferrred.
When discussing Chiesa, who has stayed in Liverpool as a consequence of sickness, Slot admitted the state of affairs is unpredictable. “Federico is sick, so that’s poor timing you would say, however yeah, it’s not one thing you are able to do something about. We’re monitoring his state of affairs. If he has an incredible restoration which I, we, medical doctors don’t anticipate, he may journey tomorrow however let’s have a good expectation, that’s not what I anticipate.”
Pressed for additional readability, Slot added with a smile: “It’s tough to be extra particular. I don’t know if anybody needs to listen to what he precisely has! However he got here on this morning, so he’s sick.”
Liverpool’s Travelling Squad Overview
The trimmed squad emphasises how stretched Liverpool are for this journey. Virgil van Dijk leads the defensive unit, supported by Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Fortunate, Conor Bradley, Milos Kerkez and Andy Robertson.
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In midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Trey Nyoni type the out there group. The shortage of depth right here is clear, particularly with Endo absent.
In assault, Slot will rely on Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and younger ahead Ngumoha. With out Gakpo and Chiesa, this quartet should shoulder the artistic and scoring duties.
Cody Gakpo’s Significance For Liverpool
Gakpo’s position underneath Slot has grown steadily, along with his off ball motion and skill to hyperlink phases giving Liverpool a unique attacking profile. His absence for “a number of weeks” amplifies the stress on the remaining forwards and will drive structural tweaks in upcoming fixtures. For a crew balancing home and European expectations, dropping a flexible attacker at this juncture provides complexity to an already demanding schedule.