The gap without Liverpool’s ‘special’ player at Everton is controversial after his injury recovery
Liverpool manager Arne Slot will be without another Reds player for their next Merseyside derby against Everton.
It’s been a brutal week on Merseyside by all accounts.
Champions League dreams dashed, the star striker broke down in tears and decided to be out for months, and now a trip to the enemy territory for one of the most emotional games in the English calendar.
Liverpool go into Sunday’s Merseyside derby on the back foot in every conceivable sense, with Slot confirming that the injury problems are not over either.
The Reds travel to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the first ever Merseyside derby at the new ground, and the backdrop could not have been more impressive.
Slot’s side were knocked out of the Champions League by PSG on Tuesday night, losing 2-0 at Anfield and 4-0 on aggregate, leaving a top-five finish in the Premier League the only prize left to fight for this season.
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Liverpool and Everton are both competing for a coveted place in Europe, meaning the derby is not just a dead rubber.
A slip-up here could drag the former into the race for Champions League qualification in the final weeks of the campaign.
David Moyes’ Toffees can close the gap on fifth-placed Liverpool to just two points if they beat them, so a defeat for Slot would increase the pressure significantly.
Moyes has built a strong unit this season, with the Blues unbeaten at home to Liverpool since December 2021 – a record that will give Everton plenty of belief, even at a place they never called home before this season.
The slot confirms the absence of Joe Gomez for Liverpool against Everton
The injury news did nothing to lighten the mood in the Liverpool camp.
When Slot was asked at the pre-game press conference on Friday if Joe Gomez would be present in the derby, the Dutchman’s answer was as vague as it gets.
The ‘special’ defender, who has been used at right back all season as there are no other options, will not play a role at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It culminated a painful week that began with Ekitike being carted off the Anfield pitch.
The 23-year-old ruptured his Achilles tendon and faces up to nine months of recovery, ruling him out for the rest of the season and this summer’s World Cup with France.
Ekitike had scored 17 goals for club and country this season after joining from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69 million last summer, and his injury comes as the worst blow at the worst time.
The Slot has confirmed that Alexander Isak is back from his long-term injury, but he may not be ready for the full 90 minutes, leaving Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa as options to lead the line in what will be a timely set-up.
Alisson also remains absent, while Giorgi Mamardashvili will start in goal.
Sunday will also be Mohamed Salah’s last game in the Merseyside derby, with the Egyptian confirmed as one of the players to leave Anfield at the end of the season, along with Andy Robertson.
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The Anfield side are at a low point.
