Liverpool’s latest injury casts a pall on festive momentum
Liverpool go into their post-Christmas plans with renewed confidence and familiar worries. The upward curve has resumed with back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since September, culminating in a 2-1 victory over nine-a-side Tottenham Hotspur. However, as with Liverpool’s winter campaign, progress comes at a cost. Arne Slott’s side travel from north London with fresh injury concerns that could affect the coming weeks.
Wolves await at Anfield on December 27, a game in which Liverpool will be favorites against the bottom of the table. However, the broader context is defined by the ever-growing list of names in the treatment room. Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa may be reachable targets, but with availability becoming as important as form, the margin for error is shrinking.
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What follows is the latest injury picture at Liverpool, with a return date that in some cases brings hope but in others uncertainty.
Alexander Isak’s strike reshapes Liverpool’s plans
The moment that changed the trajectory of Liverpool’s season came just 11 minutes after Alexander Isak came on against Tottenham Hotspur. His appearance added a avant-garde feel and instead became an iconic image of the night. Isaac was caught by Mickey van de Veen as he put Liverpool 1-0 ahead, but he was unable to celebrate his third goal of the season.
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After lengthy treatment, he was lifted from the scene with the assistance of Liverpool paramedics. Slaughter was blunt in his initial assessment, saying it was “not a good thing” for the forward to be unable to continue. The seriousness of the matter soon became clear.
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Liverpool confirmed on Monday that Isaac suffered a fractured ankle and had undergone surgery. A club statement read: “Following diagnosis, surgery on an ankle injury, including a fractured fibula, was completed today.
“Isak’s recovery will now continue at the AXA Training Center and there is currently no timetable for his return.”
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This is a major setback both personally and structurally for a signing worth £125m. Liverpool built their attacking flexibility around Isak’s presence. Now they must reimagine that balance, which may take months.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Defense and midfield focus on testing depth
Connor Bradley’s night at Tottenham was shorter than planned. The right-back, who returned to the wing after missing out on Brighton’s win, only lasted until half-time. Djed Spence’s pursuit appeared to trigger a hamstring issue, forcing Slaughter to reshuffle his squad early.
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Slot machines provide context rather than scares. “With Alex and Connor, we have to wait. Today you can see our bench but it’s not the first time. We’re not the only injured team in England during this time because we’ve played so many games.
“It’s normal for teams to have injuries at this time. We’re still picking up points and that’s the most important thing.”
The tone was hopeful rather than alarming, but Liverpool cannot afford another prolonged absence in wide defensive areas.
Joe Gomez’s situation is more familiar and more frustrating. In the game against Brighton, he started, but only lasted 26 minutes before falling down without the ball. Next comes therapy and then slowly walking away. “Joe was also not with the team over the weekend,” Slaughter confirmed on Friday.
Gomez’s season has been disrupted repeatedly and the latest setback has only heightened the sense of fragility in Liverpool’s defensive rotation.
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Potential return dates: Bradley unknown, Gomez unknown.
Attacking injuries complicate Liverpool’s options
Florian Wirtz reminded people of his ability at Tottenham and provided the assist for Isak’s goal. However, despite the fact that Liverpool’s game time is running out, there are still flashes of concern. The German was seen rubbing his hamstring before making way for Trey Nyoni. No detailed updates followed and the substitutions appear to be precautionary, a luxury Liverpool can hardly afford in the current circumstances.
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The return of Jeremie Frimpong is a small victory by comparison. It was his first appearance in two months, and he was on time and briefly inspired when he came off late on. Sloat was quickly reassured. “No, no problem at all,” he said. “I didn’t want to fall down for 30 seconds.”
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Cody Gakpo’s absence has been creeping in. He missed three games with a muscle injury suffered in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United, but Slott gave him encouragement ahead of Tottenham.
“he [Gakpo] The scan results look promising, which means we no longer have the worries we had a week or two ago.
“So that means he might be back a little earlier than expected two weeks ago, but it’s definitely not tomorrow and it’s definitely not next week.”
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Possible return dates: Wirtz against Wolves on December 27, Frimpong against Wolves on December 27, Gakpo late December or early January.
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Long absence highlights Liverpool’s reality
Wataru Endo’s injury, revealed alongside Gakpo’s update, is a reminder that when numbers are thin, it’s the players on the team that matter most. Slot confirmed: ‘It will take a few weeks’ [for Gakpo and Endo]. Cody suffered a muscle injury and Watta suffered an ankle injury. “
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Endo’s role is limited this season, but his experience and reliability will be extremely valuable during this stretch.
The plight of Giovanni Leoni was the most tragic. The young Italian suffered a cruciate ligament injury on Liverpool’s debut against Southampton and will need a year to recover. Slaughter said with empathy. “Of course, he’s not in a good situation because he’s got a torn ACL, which means he’s going to be out for a year.
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“Being so young, coming to a new country and playing so well in your first game… it’s hard to take a positive.
“There’s never a positive, but you always try to look at the positive, which is he’s still young so he’s still got a lot of years ahead of him after coming back from such a horrific injury.”
Possible return dates: January 2026 for Endo, fall 2026 for Leoni.
Liverpool’s form shows resilience. Their injury list shows that reality. Slot’s mission between now and the new year isn’t to be perfect, but to survive with good momentum.
