Ryan Gravenberch could return for Liverpool against Aston Villa, but others remain in doubt as Arne Slot offered an update on his squad after Carabao Cup exit.
Slot rung the changes against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, a decision he insisted post-match he does not regret having only had up to 16 senior players available.
With no pre-match press conference ahead of the Anfield tie, there was no update on the injury status of the squad, with the subsequent team selection not offering any hints.
But Slot has since revealed that Gravenberch is the likeliest to return against Aston Villa, with Alexander Isak and Curtis Jones still to prove their fitness.
“I think Ryan has a good chance, the others, let’s wait and see tomorrow and Friday (in training),” Slot said.
“I don’t know all of them, but Ryan has the best chance of all of them.”
The Dutch midfielder has missed the last two games with an ankle injury sustained against Man United, with Slot lamenting his absence amid the need to consequently tweak his setup.
Gravenberch’s return would prove timely as Liverpool look to arrest their form, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz the contenders to join the No. 38 in midfield on Saturday.
Jones and Isak, meanwhile, will have to prove their fitness in the coming days after respective groin issues, which suggests Hugo Ekitike will be the starting forward once more.
Alisson and Jeremie Frimpong both remain sidelined with hamstring injuries, though the Brazilian has taken a big step forward in his recovery by taking his training to the outdoor pitches at the AXA.
Slot rested all but Andy Robertson, Milos Kerkez and Alexis Mac Allister – of his regular senior players – against Palace, but his first-team players were present on the night behind the bench.
It has seen the pressure mount on Slot to get a positive result against Villa, but the head coach remained steadfast that his selection was the right decision in light of his squad’s status.