Arne Slot confirms new Liverpool injury blows after Brighton win
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Liverpool Echo IconSportFootballLiverpool FCJoe Gomez and Dominik Szoboszlai were forced off as Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-0 home win over Brighton & Hove AlbionArne Slot has confirmed that Liverpool were dealt a double injury blow in their 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion after both Joe Gomez and Dominik Szoboszlai were forced off. Gomez was withdrawn in the 26th minute with the Reds head coach admitting he is unlikely to be available for next week’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.Meanwhile, Szoboszlai initially carried on after receiving treatment on the pitch before being replaced byFederico Chiesa in the 83rd minute.Liverpool were already without Cody Gakpo, Jeremie Frimpong, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni because of injury against Brighton while Mohamed Salah - who came on for the injured Gomez - is now set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations.READ MORE: Arne Slot makes final Mohamed Salah decision ahead of Liverpool star's AFCON departureAnd while the Reds will welcome Conor Bradley back from suspension against Spurs next weekend, and Frimpong is closing in on a return, Slot was left to rue his side’s latest injury setbacks when offering an update following the final whistle."If I have a player who goes off with a muscle injury like Joe, that's normally not a positive thing,” he told the club."I would not expect him to be in the squad next week [at Tottenham Hotspur].
But sometimes you get a positive surprise."People now maybe understand a bit better why I was always so cautious not to play him so many games. I assume many people thought, 'If you have a defender, if you have a right full-back, why don't you play him?'"And Dom, it was his ankle.
It didn't look great when I just saw him. But he has unbelievable mentality so let's hope for the best."The good thing is that Conor Bradley comes back from a suspension [next week] and normally Jeremie Frimpong will train with us also."But we're also going to miss Mo [Salah] because he is going to go to the Africa Cup of Nations."Slot had bemoaned having only 13 available senior outfield players for the clash with Brighton.He named the likes of Calvin Ramsay, Rio Ngumoha and Wellity Lucky on an eight-man bench as Liverpool continue to feel the pinch from their enforced absentees.