Liverpool dealt major blow ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt showdown as Arne Slot confirms Champions League squad | OneFootball

The Dutch manager has given an injury update on one missing star

Ryan Gravenberch will sit out Liverpool’s Champions League visit to Eintracht Frankfurt with an ankle injury, having failed to make the travelling squad.

Arne Slot said at the weekend that the injury would have to be assessed, and Gravenberch subsequently missed Liverpool’s open training session on Tuesday.

With the Reds belatedly confirming their travelling squad on Tuesday night after travel disruption caused Slot’s pre-match press conference to be cancelled at the last minute, it has now been revealed that the 23-year-old will remain on Merseyside with the ankle injury given as the reason for his absence.

In a separate update released afterwards via the club’s official website, Slot said Gravenberch will “hopefully be available at the weekend [when Liverpool travel to Brentford in the Premier League, with an 8pm BST kick-off on Saturday].

“But it’s an ankle injury, we have to wait and see, give him a bit of time.”

Gravenberch being unavailable is a significant blow to Liverpool - who are desperate to snap a four-match losing streak - given his importance to the team, but Slot will at least be relieved to welcome back another midfielder from injury in the form of Wataru Endo.

Still, the Reds’ boss suggested Gravenberch’s absence “might mean something for others as well, because he has such a particular quality in our squad [by] always protecting our back four.”

Slot faces a selection dilemma when Liverpool take on Frankfurt

REUTERS

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Alisson misses out as expected as he recovers from a hamstring issue, but Alexis Mac Allister is deemed fit for selection despite taking a blow to the head at Anfield on Sunday.

As is perhaps part of the issue with his new-look Liverpool squad at present, Slot has a plethora of attacking options at his disposal but only so many spots in his starting line-up. With his team’s form waning, the Dutch head coach is expected to ring the changes.

Florian Wirtz, another new arrival, might expect to be re-instated after his benching at the weekend, but the in-form Cody Gakpo and hitherto “undroppable” Mohamed Salah will also be hoping to keep their places.

And in light of a string of lackadaisical defensive performances, there’s a chance that only captain Virgil van Dijk and Alisson’s deputy Giorgi Mamardashvili are safe from rotation in the backline.

Liverpool’s travelling squad in full: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Misciur, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, Mac Allister, Salah, Bradley, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Ekitike, Robertson, Frimpong, Ngumoha.