10 players could miss Liverpool vs Barnsley game

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Liverpool could be without up to 10 players for their FA Cup third-round tie against Barnsley at Anfield, with injuries and international duty stretching Arne Slot’s squad depth.

The article explains that right-back Conor Bradley has been ruled out after suffering a significant knee injury during the midweek clash with Arsenal, with the club yet to confirm a return date. Mohamed Salah is also unavailable as he continues to represent Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, having just helped his country reach the latter stages of the tournament.

In midfield, Wataru Endo remains sidelined by an ankle injury sustained in early December. Although he is expected to resume training soon, Slot has stressed that his lengthy absence means he will not be rushed back into competitive action. Young striker Jayden Danns is another confirmed absentee, with the manager indicating he is not close to a return.

Defensively, Liverpool are still missing long-term casualties Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni, both of whom are recovering from serious ankle and cruciate ligament injuries respectively. Their rehabilitation continues and neither is in contention for the Barnsley game.

Forward Hugo Ekitike is described as a major doubt. He has missed the last two fixtures with a hamstring issue and delayed onset muscle soreness, and while Slot insists the club will “do everything” to have him available, his participation is uncertain. The article notes that other youngsters are being carefully managed to avoid similar problems, with training loads closely monitored.

For Barnsley, captain Luca Connell will miss the tie through suspension after being sent off in their previous outing. The combination of Liverpool’s extensive injury list, Salah’s AFCON commitments, and Barnsley’s own suspension means that as many as ten players overall could be absent from the Anfield clash.