Liverpool’s Slot Cautious of Injured Manchester City Before Crucial Showdown

Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, 46, commended Pep Guardiola for his handling of the injury-stricken Manchester City squad and highlighted his own team’s fitness issues ahead of their Premier League showdown at the Etihad on Sunday.

Right-back Conor Bradley is set to miss both the match against City and the home fixture against Newcastle United on Wednesday due to a muscle injury. Meanwhile, defender Joe Gomez faces a long spell on the sidelines following hamstring surgery and will be unavailable for the rest of the season.

Forward Cody Gakpo, who has been absent from Liverpool’s last two league matches due to an injury, is also a doubt.

“I hope to have him available, but I can’t say for certain. Cody hasn’t practised with the team, so it will be a tight call,” Slot informed reporters on Thursday.

“Joe has undergone surgery and will be out for a considerable period, possibly returning just before the season concludes. I would be completely taken aback if Conor can feature; it’s safe to assume he won’t be available.”

“(Diogo) Jota and Trent (Alexander-Arnold) can’t play 90 minutes five times in 15 days as they’ve recently returned from injury.”

City are currently sitting fourth in the league and recently suffered a 6-3 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League, with star player Erling Haaland absent during their 3-1 loss away from home on Wednesday.

“Their style remains unchanged, regardless of who is on the pitch. It’s unmistakably a Guardiola team, even when they drop points. However, he too requires quality players, and with so many absences, it’s incredibly challenging in this league,” Slot remarked, discussing City’s fight for a top-four finish.

“They’ve acquired three or four players, and you can already see an improvement following their 4-0 win against Newcastle.”

“You must endure and toil hard to keep them away from your goal since they’re extremely proficient in possession. Nevertheless, they will be confronted by a robust opponent who hasn’t experienced defeat in 22 consecutive league matches.”

With second-placed Arsenal, who trail by eight points, set to face West Ham prior to Liverpool’s match against City, Slot was asked whether that outcome would influence his strategy. He responded that he prefers to focus less on the north London side as they strive to close the gap.

“The result of that match doesn’t complicate our game any further… We are already acutely aware of the challenges posed when visiting the Etihad, and we certainly don’t need Arsenal’s involvement to amplify that,” he added.