Journalist Provides Liverpool Injury Update Ahead of Tottenham Hotspur Clash
Liverpool head into a demanding away trip to Tottenham Hotspur with momentum cautiously returning, but squad availability again threatens to dictate the narrative. Credit must go to Lewis Steele of The Daily Mail for outlining the latest injury developments, which underline how fine the margins remain for Arne Slot during a turbulent title defence.
The Reds are unbeaten in five matches, a sequence that has steadied nerves after a season that has unravelled alarmingly fast following last year’s Premier League triumph. Sitting seventh in the table, this Liverpool side has learned that rhythm and recovery rarely arrive together. Just as results tick upward, fitness concerns resurface.
Joe Gomez is the most immediate worry. As Steele reports, “Joe Gomez is likely to miss the trip to Tottenham on Saturday with a hamstring injury suffered against Brighton last week.” That absence matters. Gomez has been one of Slot’s most tactically flexible defenders, comfortable at centre back or full back, and his reliability has often masked structural flaws elsewhere.
Gomez Absence Tests Defensive Depth
Gomez’s injury feels symbolic of Liverpool’s season. Solutions emerge, then disappear. Without him, Slot must once again reshuffle a back line that has lacked continuity. Against Spurs away, that is a dangerous game. Tottenham’s pace between the lines will test any partnership still learning its cues.
Liverpool’s recent wins against Inter Milan and Brighton offered reassurance, but they did so with control rather than dominance.
The injury to Gomez now leaves Slot with just two centre-back options, of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, as we head into the festive period.
Szoboszlai Fitness and Discipline Factor
There is better news further forward. Steele confirms that “Dominik Szoboszlai should be OK after going down with an ankle knock in the 2-0 win.” His availability is vital. The Hungarian has been ever present in the Premier League until his 83rd-minute substitution against Brighton, a testament to his physical output and tactical importance.
However, there is a subplot here. Szoboszlai “is also one yellow card away from a one-match ban.” For a player who presses aggressively and plays on the emotional edge, that matters. Slot must balance intensity with restraint, especially away from home. Losing Szoboszlai to suspension would weaken Liverpool’s midfield dynamism at a time when stability is already scarce.
Frimpong Return Offers Tactical Options
Perhaps the most intriguing update involves Jeremie Frimpong. Steele writes that he “is hopeful of joining full training in the coming days after missing nearly two months with a hamstring problem.” While his immediate involvement against Spurs may be limited, his return expands Slot’s options.
Frimpong brings speed and verticality, traits Liverpool have lacked during this uneven campaign. Even as a bench option, his presence forces opponents to think differently.
