After the win over Real Madrid, Arne Slot confirmed that right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to full training and is ready to play this weekend against Man City at Anfield. The 26-year-old was previously included in the squad for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid but did not come on.
The reason why this news is so exciting for Arne Slot is because young right-back Conor Bradley was confirmed to have suffered an injury after the victory over Real Madrid. The 21-year-old star had a great match when he successfully contained Kylian Mbappe. If Bradley is still healthy after that victory, Arne Slot may have to hesitate between choosing Bradley or Alexander-Arnold.
"They (Bradley and Konate) are still being assessed by the medical team so it's difficult for me to say anything at this point. We'll have to wait for official information but it's not a positive sign at this point.
The coaching staff had to let Bradley leave the field early. As for Konate, he could not leave the field normally after the match ended. Konate wanted to walk around the stadium to thank the fans but could not do it either" - Arne Slot shared.
If Bradley and Konate both suffer serious injuries and are unable to play this weekend, Liverpool's injury list will increase to six. Previously injured stars Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Kostas Tsimikas all missed the win over Real Madrid as they continue to race against time to recover as quickly as possible.
Liverpool are still reigning supreme in both the Premier League and Champions League. With a convincing victory over the reigning European champions Real Madrid, The Kop have proven that they are worthy of being the number 1 candidate for the title this season. Meanwhile, in the Premier League, if Arne Slot's team defeats another reigning champion this weekend, even though the season is only 1/3 of the way through, it will not be surprising if the Anfield team lifts the trophy at the end of the season.
Although Man City have not won their last 6 matches, including a series of 5 consecutive losses, Arne Slot has not underestimated his opponent. In fact, the Dutch strategist also hopes that Man City will bring a real challenge to Liverpool in this weekend's match. From there, Slot has the most accurate reference to measure Liverpool's strength at the present time.
"In the past 8-9 years, I have not seen anyone discuss home or away when playing against Man City. The simple reason is that no matter which stadium you play at, things are never easy.
People are talking a lot about Man City's recent performance but it's pointless. You have to analyze them a lot every time you play against them. Against Brighton, Tottenham or Feyenoord, they did very well before they got negative results. Man City are still a very, very strong team. For me, Pep Guardiola is one of the best coaches in the world. He will soon have a solution to the current situation.
Man City's problem right now is the absence of Rodri, but Pep will find a suitable solution. Then, in the end, they will return to the race and accelerate" - Slot commented on this weekend's opponent.
The match between Liverpool and Man City will take place at 11:00 p.m. on December 1 (Vietnam time), live on K+
