Latest Liverpool injury news as Arne Slot gives updates ahead of the Carabao Cup tie at Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool have been dealt a double injury blow with both Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott expected to be sidelined until after next month’s international break. But Conor Bradley is in contention for a return when the Reds continue their defence of the League Cup in their fourth round tie at Brighton on Wednesday evening.
Jota has been out with an upper body injury sustained during a tangle with Tosin Adarabioyo in the 2-1 Premier League win over Chelsea at Anfield last weekend, with Reds head coach Arne Slot then revealing the Portuguese suffered bruising after being dragged to the ground by the defender.
Elliott, meanwhile, has been absent since suffering a fractured foot while on international duty with England under-21s in early September.
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And now the duo are unlikely to be available until the Premier League trip to Southampton on November 24 at the earliest, meaning they will also miss the league game at home to Brighton on Saturday, the Champions League visit of Bayer Leverkusen next Tuesday and the top-four clash against Aston Villa at Anfield the following weekend.
Asked about whether Jota will feature before the forthcoming international break, Slot said: “No, it will be after that. Elliott the same.”
Bradley has missed the last three games after picking up an injury while playing for Northern Ireland on international duty.
But Slot, speaking on Tuesday, added: “Conor is training with us today so maybe he could be in the squad tomorrow. Jota not, Alisson not, Harvey Elliott not. Federico (Chiesa) I’m not expecting him to be in the squad tomorrow.”
Chiesa hasn’t featured since the previous round of the Carabao Cup when he made his first start in that 5-1 win over West Ham United on September 25.
Alisson Becker, meanwhile, continues his recovery from injury but is another who won’t be back until at least the final week of November.
And with second-choice goalkeeper Caomihin Kelleher having become the regular deputy, Slot admits he faces a call over whether to hand Vitezslav Jaros a first start between the sticks after his debut from the bench in the Premier League win at Crystal Palace earlier this month.
“That is something that is going through my head but I haven’t made that decision yet,” he said. “Also it’s a decision you include goalkeeper coach in that. I want to hear how fit Caoimh is at the moment as he’s played many games.”
