Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that Mohamed Salah will not be fit for Liverpool’s trip to Manchester United on Sunday at 15:30 BST and said goalkeeper Alisson has not trained yet and remains a doubt for the match.
Slot said Salah appeared to suffer a hamstring problem during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace and that, despite the forward’s usual speed of recovery, he will not be available for Sunday. “Usually, he is earlier fit than other players from a minor injury but not for Sunday,” Slot said, adding: "As we know from Mo, [he is] always working incredibly hard" and: "Usually he's earlier fit than other players after a minor injury – because he has a minor injury. We expect him indeed to be back in the final part of the season, but not for Sunday."
On Alisson, Slot said: "Ali hasn't trained yet, [but is] very close to training, so I have to speak to the medical staff." He warned the club would not take unnecessary chances: "We don't want to take any risks. But there is a difference between an [outfield] player and a goalkeeper in terms of coming back." Liverpool later confirmed Alisson was very close to training and that Milos Kerkez was present in the session, though Kerkez faces a late fitness test after leaving Wednesday’s training with "some niggles." "Milos has had some niggles, and left the training pitch on Wednesday. I expect him to train today or tomorrow," Slot said.
The absences stack up. Giorgi Mamardashvili remains sidelined after an injury sustained in the Merseyside derby against Everton, and Slot said Liverpool are definitely without Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Hugo Ekitike. Freddie Woodman kept goal against Crystal Palace and "may be called upon again," while Slot offered a cautious summary of his squad: "We're in good shape really," even as he faced difficult choices for the Manchester trip.
The match matters in sharp, immediate terms. Liverpool are in a fight for Champions League places — three points separate them from the team above and they are one goal worse off on goal difference — and a United victory would guarantee Manchester United a spot in next season’s competition, according to the Manchester United source material. Slot’s selection decisions at 15:30 BST on Sunday could therefore have a direct effect on where both clubs stand when the domestic run-in resumes.
Tension around team selection is intensified by injuries and recent transfers. Alexander Isak was ruled out of the trip after picking up a groin strain in training during the week; Isak joined Liverpool in a British-record £130 million move from Newcastle and, according to reports, made 13 Premier League starts and scored three goals this season. Hugo Ekitike is already out for the remainder of the season after an Achilles tendon rupture sustained during the Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain. Slot must balance short-term need against longer-term welfare: "He is very close but we, of course, don't want to take any risks because that's not what you want for any player," he said of Alisson.
Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick added a separate update ahead of the game, saying: "Matheus has done a little bit of work, so we're hopeful. We're not sure but we're hopeful. Matthijs [de Ligt] is still a little bit further [off] and not involved in the game. Other than that, we are in good shape." Carrick’s assessment underlines how tight the stakes are for both sides entering a fixture that could decide Champions League qualification.
The simplest consequence is immediate and unavoidable: Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford without their leading forward, Mohamed Salah, and with the status of their starting goalkeeper unresolved. The wider consequence is clearer still — Slot must decide whether to accept short-term vulnerability to preserve players’ fitness for the final weeks, or to risk running out a stronger side at a moment when a single result could settle one club’s Champions League fate and leave the other still scrambling.
