Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has played down major injury fears ahead of the Reds’ Premier League visit to AFC Bournemouth, although Federico Chiesa remains a doubt after a late setback in midweek.
Momentum is firmly with Liverpool following their Champions League success in France, but attention has now shifted back to domestic duties with a tricky away test awaiting at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening.
Encouragingly for the Reds, Slot confirmed that no new fitness concerns emerged from the European outing, keeping the squad largely intact.
Chiesa, however, is the one name under scrutiny. The Italian forward was originally listed among the substitutes for Wednesday night’s win over Marseille, only to be forced out during the warm-up after picking up a knock.
As the build-up to the weekend fixture continues, Liverpool’s medical staff are set to assess his condition before a final decision is made.
“Federico wasn’t able to be on the bench on Wednesday,” Slot said at his pre-match conference. “There was a recovery session yesterday, so we have to wait and see today.
“It’s difficult for me to say whether he is available for Bournemouth. We don’t expect him to be out for long, so it would be 50/50 maybe if he is available for tomorrow.”
He added: “For the rest, at this moment in time, no-one picked up a knock, no-one had a problem after the game.“But sometimes when you start training again you can feel something.
“But I expect all the same players to be available for tomorrow and Calvin Ramsay is a player who is not available for the Champions League but will be available for the Premier League, so that’s another player to add.”
The Merseyside outfit will now look to maintain their tempo, rotate wisely if needed, and keep their winning run alive as they switch gears back into Premier League mode under Slot’s steady guidance.
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