Mohamed Salah is set to return for Liverpool in Friday's Premier League fixture at Villa Park after missing the past two matches with a muscle injury, manager Arne Slot said in his pre-match press conference this morning. Slot confirmed Salah will be back in the squad and available for only limited minutes when Liverpool travel to face Aston Villa.
Slot said Ibrahima Konate, who was taken off in the second half against Chelsea last weekend, trained with the group and is fit to be considered. "Ibou is OK, trained with us," Slot said, underlining that the centre back's recent substitution has not left him sidelined for Friday.
The manager also outlined that goalkeeper Alisson Becker has returned to team training and will be assessed before the match. Slot said Alisson was training with the squad again and that the plan is to check his condition tomorrow to decide "if he is ready already or has to wait one more week." That leaves Liverpool awaiting a late decision on a player who could affect the starting lineup.
Florian Wirtz is another fitness question. Slot reported that Wirtz has a stomach infection, is on antibiotics and will be judged for tomorrow's game. "Stomach infection, so let’s see how fit he is for tomorrow. He’s on antibiotics. Let’s see if he’s ready to play tomorrow," Slot said, signaling caution around the midfielder's availability.
If you came here searching for scotland league table, this is the quick Liverpool update: Salah returns to the squad, Konate is fit after his Chelsea withdrawal, and both Alisson and Wirtz face final fitness checks ahead of Friday's match at Villa Park.
That sequence—Salah available but for only a few minutes, Konate fit after last weekend, and two key players to be assessed—carries the weight of selection headaches for Slot. Salah’s limited return suggests Liverpool will reintegrate their leading attacker gradually; Slot explicitly framed that plan by saying Salah would be available "for only a few minutes" tomorrow but expressing hope he could come on.
The context is straightforward: this is an injury bulletin delivered the morning before a Premier League game. Liverpool are still awaiting final verdicts on Alisson and Wirtz, and Wirtz’s antibiotic treatment complicates any prediction of his fitness. Those facts shape both the team sheet on Friday and the short-term management of minutes for returning players.
The tension is clear. There is optimism—Konate trained and Salah is back in the squad—but real uncertainty remains over two players who can materially change how Liverpool line up. Alisson training does not equal a green light; Slot left open the possibility the goalkeeper may need "one more week." Wirtz’s stomach infection introduces a medical variable that makes him a late call at best.
What happens next is simple and decisive: Liverpool will run final checks tomorrow and name a squad that reflects those decisions. Salah's presence in the group almost guarantees he will play a part, but Slot’s timetable points to a cautious, short cameo rather than a full return. Alisson’s status will be determined after the final assessment, and Wirtz’s recovery from his infection will decide whether he can be included at Villa Park.
For now, Slot’s updates set a conservative course. He has confirmed enough to change selection options—Salah is available, Konate trained and is OK—but left the crucial goalkeeper and midfielder decisions until the last medical and training checks. The clearest takeaway is that Liverpool will manage returns carefully: Salah will taste the pitch again on Friday, and the remainder of the lineup will depend on tomorrow’s assessments.
