Liverpool handed huge injury boost as Arne Slot reveals Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak latest | OneFootball

Reds will have at least two stars back in action for huge FA Cup clash

Arne Slot has confirmed that Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak are set to return to team training ahead of his side’s FA Cup clash with Manchester City this weekend.

It has meant that Hugo Ektike has been tasked with leading the line in his absence, and the Frenchman has scored 16 goals in his debut season at the club.

Isak has been nearing a return for some time, pictured recently with a ball as he stepped up his recovery.

He did not, however, join up with his Swedish compatriots for their World Cup play-off matches over the international window, where his country qualified for the tournament with a late victory over Poland on Tuesday.

"I think Alex is in a really good place because Sweden qualified for the World Cup yesterday evening and apart from that he's going to train with the group again for the first time tomorrow,” Slot said on Wednesday.

"If you've worked so hard for three, four months or something like that and then to return to team training, that's for everyone very nice. So Alex is, in that sense, in a good place.

"Of course it's only his first session, after three or four months [out], with the team but it's good to have him back because we all know who we signed and we've signed an incredible striker.

"So to have him again in a team that's usually generating quite a lot of chances – and maybe not immediately from the first moment that he can start – but to have him back for the last two months is, I think, very helpful for us."

Return: Mohamed Salah

REUTERS

Salah, meanwhile, was ruled out of the game against Brighton with a muscle injury, and that same issue forced him out of his international duty with Egypt.

Now, Slot has confirmed that the pair will return to training ahead of their trip to the Etihad Stadium.

"Another example of what makes him special because the moment he got injured there was a bit of a situation where they thought, 'I don't think he's available for City.' But Mo looked at me and said, 'I think I will be available for City,’” Slot told reporters on Wednesday.

"He just does so much for his body for such a long time that he recovers so fast. So, he will train with the team again tomorrow and if everything works well then he's available to be with us at City."

The Reds were dealt a blow earlier on Wednesday morning when it was revealed that Jeremie Frimpong, the right-back, had suffered another injury setback while on duty with the Netherlands.

Slot continued: "Jeremie, the national team doctor of the Netherlands tells us that it was precautionary that they took him out. But he will have a scan later today to see.”

Liverpool are also without their first-choice goalkeeper Alisson, after he withdrew from the Brazil squad through injury too.

Federico Chiesa returned early from his time in the Italy camp, also with an injury, although neither players’ issues have been detailed.

"Alisson will be out for a bit longer and Federico indeed came back from the national team, where he wasn't able to play,” Slot explained.

“But he trained with us today, so he will train with us tomorrow again and will be available for the game on the weekend."