Jeremie Frimpong could be handed only his second Premier League start when Liverpool host Wolves on Saturday
Arne Slot will face something of a selection dilemma when Liverpool welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Anfield on Saturday. The Reds down to the bare bones after Alexander Isak became their latest player to succumb to injury.
Slot could be left without as many as eight senior first-team players, with Mohamed Salah now away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Dominik Szoboszlai set to serve a one-game ban and both Isak and Conor Bradley joining Giovanni Leoni, Cody Gakpo, Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez on the club’s injury list after limping off in the win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Admittedly, Liverpool’s woes could have eased up slightly come the weekend with a little bit of luck.
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Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Slot revealed that Bradley and Gakpo were at least rated at 50/50 to take part.
“Conor will be 50-50. He’s not training with us today (Tuesday), not tomorrow (Christmas Eve),” he said. “So Friday we will see exactly where he is (and) if he can be in the squad for the weekend.
“Joe won’t be available, Wata won’t be available (and) Cody is a bit similar to Conor.”
Such absences will leave the Reds short defensively though, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate remaining Slot’s only available senior options at centre-back.
Likewise, the absence of Gomez and Szoboszlai, along with the question mark having over Bradley’s head, will also leave Liverpool short at right-back.
Jeremie Frimpong returned from a hamstring injury after a two-month lay-off against Tottenham, and set up the winning goal for Hugo Ekitike. But the wing-back was introduced at right-wing with Szoboszlai dropping back to right-back following the enforced withdrawal of Bradley.
The Netherlands international was then taken off himself late on with a facial injury, though Slot insists Frimpong will be fine to not only face but to start against Wolves too.
That’s just as well, given the Reds’ absences elsewhere. But where exactly to field him is another issue entirely.
With Bradley an injury doubt, right-back would be the obvious choice. Yet with Salah at AFCON and Szoboszlai suspended, Slot will need to select a new right-winger to face the Premier League strugglers too.
Curtis Jones or Calvin Ramsay could be turned to in defence, while Federico Chiesa is also an alternative in attack.
Frimpong is at least ready to step in and make up for lost time, having been limited to just 114 minutes of Premier League action since joining the club, as he shared his delight at returning to action against Spurs.
“I’m just going to be ready for whatever comes,” he told the club. “As a footballer you should be ready for any situation so if I can help the team in any way possible that’s what I’m going to do.
“It felt really good to be back out there with the boys and to win as well. So, it was a good comeback, I really enjoyed it.
“Obviously injury in football is really annoying. I think it’s the worst thing in football – that and losing. But it’s part of football. I’m focused, I’m back now so I’m happy to be back.”
But while Frimpong might be fit enough to start, expecting him to come through a full 90 minutes, in whichever position, after such a lengthy lay-off following his second hamstring injury of the season is also a big ask.
And with Liverpool down to potentially just 11 available senior outfield players, it reiterates the selection dilemma Slot will be facing over the festive period – having already admitted the Reds’ current situation will force him to take ‘a bit more risk’.
“In the weekend he (Frimpong) was on a maximum of 30 minutes because he has been out for quite long,” he said. “I think he is able to start this weekend if I make that decision.
“Sometimes situations change, so you need to take a bit more risk than you would maybe usually do if everyone was available.
“So that’s what I mean, the players that are available have to roll their sleeves up – including our fans – to get the best possible chance of a good outcome in the upcoming two games. That’s for him the same as the others.”
Frimpong is ready to answer that call, with his return coming at the perfect time for Liverpool and Slot, too. One only hopes such enforced risks do not backfire, given the Reds’ already-existing current frailties. Yet such absences admittedly leave Slot with little alternative.
His compatriot has not actually started in the Premier League since making his English top-flight debut against AFC Bournemouth on the opening day of the season. On that occasion, he was forced off on the hour mark when suffering his first hamstring injury.
As a result, the former Bayer Leverkusen man’s 30-minute showing against Spurs is actually his second-longest appearance in the Premier League, though both player and club will hope that is no longer the case following the final whistle Wolves’ visit to Anfield.
And having set up the winner against Spurs, supporters will hope that it is a sign of things to come from Frimpong with the Dutchman now set to be given the opportunity to kickstart his Liverpool career once and for all. But which position he will be utilised in remains to be seen.
