Liverpool: Arne Slot confirms Curtis Jones plan after Reds hit with injury crisis | OneFootball

Liverpool have a shortage of natural right-back options after Conor Bradley injury blow

Curtis Jones could be set to deputise at right-back during a crunch period for Liverpool.

Liverpool begin a run of six games across all competitions in 21 days when they host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend.

However, the Reds are set to be without both of their natural right-back options.

Jeremie Frimpong has already missed the last five games with a hamstring injury and has since been joined on the sidelines by Conor Bradley.

Interestingly, when discussing potential replacements for Bradley and Frimpong, Slot namechecked Jones.

Slot said: “He [Szoboszlai] is doing so well in every position. That’s true. He’s played really well as a full-back and played really well as a midfielder. Curtis Jones played there last season.

“Joe Gomez can play there but Joe Gomez has played, I think if I’m correct, two times 90 minutes throughout the whole 2025 year.

He’s played really well as a full-back and played really well as a midfielder

Arne Slot

“So, if we want to keep him available longer it’s maybe a bit of a risk to play him seven times in 22 days. He missed out on a training session yesterday by the way as well but we are expecting him to train today.

“[It’s] challenging but the good thing is we have still enough good players available and maybe one of them or two of them have to play in positions they usually don’t do. That’s what we have to accept.”

Jones does have experience, albeit very little, of playing as a right-back for Liverpool having been deployed their in last season’s Merseyside derby win over Everton.

Slot revealed after the match that he had long been considering playing Jones at full back.

“It is not something that came up last week, it is something we thought about for a bit longer,” the Dutchman said. “The first half of the season were moments we talked about with him. I thought he was able to do this or do it in moments.

Arne Slot could repeat the Curtis Jones right-back experiment

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“Three full backs are injured so then it is a choice of playing a centre back, but we felt that to have a chance to win the game we had to play better than in the away game.

“A risk to play there as a midfielder but I thought he could help with the creativity.

“He did very well defensively, strong performance from him and nice to have another option.”