Liverpool face Sunderland with up to eight missing as Slot’s options thin out | OneFootball

Liverpool head to Sunderland on Wednesday night knowing the quickest route back to winning ways is going to come with a significant selection problem.

The defeat to Manchester City on Sunday did not just cost us points, it also added a suspension to a squad that is already stretched by injuries in key areas.

Liverpoolfc.com’s latest squad availability update, last updated on February 8, lists seven injury concerns plus Dominik Szoboszlai’s one-match ban, meaning we could be without up to eight players at the Stadium of Light.

That matters because it is not just numbers, it is the shape of the absences, with the right side of our defence looking particularly thin.

Liverpool’s current Sunderland availability list looks severe

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Liverpoolfc.com have set out the latest statuses, and the headline for Wednesday is simple: we are dealing with long-term injuries, short-term setbacks, and one suspension that removes a key emergency option.

Here is the current list based on the club update:

Szoboszlai’s suspension is particularly awkward because the Hungary international has already been used as a solution in an emergency role, and now Arne Slot has lost that option as well as the player’s usual midfield impact.

Slot’s right-back headache is getting harder to ignore

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

It is easy for the wider conversation to fixate on one moment from the Manchester City game, but our squad context is a major part of the week as we go again so quickly.

Slot spelt out the right-sided issue clearly and did not sugar-coat the uncertainty.

The Liverpool head coach said: “Jeremie, for sure not… To be honest, I don’t expect Joe to be back as well, but you never know.”

Arne Slot also underlined the risk calculation around rushing Joe Gomez back, while acknowledging the decision sits with him and his staff.

Slot added: “We have other players that can play that position as well. Dom again played a very good game in that position but unfortunately he is unavailable for Wednesday.”

Those lines are the clearest explanation of why Sunderland away is not a simple reset, because it is not just about performance levels, it is about who is available to execute the plan.

There is also a psychological piece to the turnaround, and Gary Neville touched on that while assessing the Manchester City defeat.

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, Neville said: “That’ll be a tough take… for Arne Slot and his players.”

The former Manchester United defender’s main point was about response, not blame.

Neville added: “If they can compartmentalise it… and not let it infect and create something negative in here, then they still be fine and they’ll still be okay.”

That is the balancing act on Wednesday: we need the result, we need the control, and we may have to get it with a patched-up group in a fixture that demands intensity and focus regardless of the team sheet.

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