Liverpool injury latest as Wirtz and Isak expected return dates revealed | OneFootball

Liverpool Injury Report: Premier League Run In Takes Shape

Liverpool head into a defining week of their Premier League run in with momentum, but also with uncertainty. Successive trips to Wolves will test the squad’s depth and resilience, and the latest Liverpool injury report could yet shape how this campaign concludes.

As reported by the Evening Standard, there have been significant developments around Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Wataru Endo. For a side chasing consistency and rhythm at a critical stage, availability matters as much as tactics.

Arne Slot, now firmly established after delivering the Premier League title in 2024-25, understands that balance between risk and reward better than most. The title defence and European ambitions hinge on getting key men back at the right time, not simply as quickly as possible.

Midfield Creativity Concern

Florian Wirtz has been missing since withdrawing from the starting XI against Nottingham Forest on February 22. The German has sat out victories over Forest and West Ham, and also the recent defeat by Wolves, with a back issue that is not thought to be serious but has proved disruptive.

Slot offered a measured update. “I think that [Tuesday’s game] will be too early,” he said. “But I said last week I didn’t expect him not to be available for today, so sometimes things can develop in a positive or negative way in an injury, now we are thinking it doesn’t have to be too long, but Tuesday will probably be too early.

“The week after will be tight as things stand now.”

For Liverpool’s Premier League run in, Wirtz’s intelligence between the lines is pivotal. He links play, presses aggressively and sets tempo. Without him, Liverpool can look a fraction less incisive in central areas. A potential return against Wolves on March 6 would be timely.

Photo: IMAGO

Striker Timeline and Attacking Depth

Alexander Isak’s absence has been longer and more complicated. It is nearly three months since he suffered an ankle injury including a fibula fracture while scoring in the 2-1 win over Tottenham on December 20. Surgery followed, and recovery has been methodical.

Slot has tempered expectations. “It will be somewhere around there [the March international break] and then it’s always the question if things go really well or if he gets a little bit of a setback.

“So, it will be around that period of time, end of March, start of April when he’s hopefully back with the group.

“When you’re back with the group it’s not to say that you are ready to play, let alone start, a game of football because, again, he’s been out for months and the last time he’s been out for months I think we could all see that it took him a while before he was the player we have signed from Newcastle.”

That last point is crucial. Fitness is one thing, sharpness another. For the Premier League run in, Liverpool will need Isak at full tilt, not easing himself through cameo appearances.

Long Term Absences in Defensive Unit

Wataru Endo’s situation is more sobering. Stretchered off against Sunderland on February 11, the midfielder has since undergone surgery. Slot was blunt. “Wata will be out for a long time. We don’t know exactly how long, but long.”

Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu confirmed the operation. “I’ve heard that he had surgery. I’ve heard that it went well, but I don’t know the details of how it went.

“The plan is for him to be ready in time for the World Cup, so the rehabilitation process from surgery onwards is being considered.

“In order to play in the World Cup, he, the club, and we all share the same understanding.”

That suggests a return in June at best, too late to influence this Premier League run in.

Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni remain long term concerns. Bradley’s significant knee injury required surgery after the draw at Arsenal, and no timeframe has been placed on his return. Leoni, who tore his ACL on debut in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton, faces around a year out.

For Liverpool, the equation is straightforward. Manage workloads, trust the squad, and navigate the next few weeks with discipline. Titles and Champions League places are secured by margins, and in this Premier League run in, the Liverpool injury report may yet prove decisive.