Liverpool at risk of new injury crisis ahead of Man Utd after summer transfer blow

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The Reds entered the October window with Alisson Becker and Giovanni Leoni already sidelined for the long haul.The Brazilian shot-stopper picked up a hamstring injury against Galatasaray and is anticipated to be out of action until after the November international break, while the Italian has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury on his debut against Southampton.While losing Alisson is always a significant setback for Liverpool, they do have a capable stand-in with Giorgi Mamardashvili.READ MORE: Enzo Maresca slapped with touchline ban as Chelsea boss punished over Liverpool incidentREAD MORE: Ex-Liverpool star reveals how summer signing has surprised him - 'I was wrong'However, it was perhaps Leoni's injury that sparked more worry among the Anfield faithful. After all, Liverpool have previously been caught short in the centre-back department.Having offloaded Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer and seen a last-minute move for Marc Guehi thwarted by Crystal Palace, Leoni's injury leaves Arne Slot with just three senior centre-backs at his disposal - Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.Given Konate and Gomez's history of injuries, Liverpool are already treading on thin ice - and that's without taking into account the Frenchman's shaky start to the season and the uncertainty surrounding both players' futures at Anfield.With Konate then withdrawn in the Reds' last outing away at Chelsea because of a quad injury, it has been an anxious international break for Liverpool.The centre-back did report for duty with France despite the issue and took part in parts of team training while also working on his own individual programme.But after being an unused substitute for their victory over Azerbaijan last week, he was released early from the camp after it was concluded that he would not be fit enough to face Iceland on Monday night.A statement released by the France national team on Saturday read: "Injured in the right quadriceps during his last match with Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate has followed a treatment and protocol since his arrival this Monday but will not be able to take his place against Iceland."Liverpool will now determine Konate's fitness upon his return to the AXA Training Centre, with Gomez ready to step in for the Frenchman if he cannot face Manchester United on Sunday.Whilst Slot might find himself reduced to just two senior centre-backs as a consequence, he has already maintained he possesses sufficient depth when initially addressing the Reds' failure to secure Guehi."Ryan (Gravenberch) and Wata (Endo) that can play there so it is not like all of a sudden we don't have options in that position anymore," Slot told reporters back in September.Additionally, Andy Robertson remains an alternative and has been deployed at the heart of defence by the Dutchman previously.

There's a certain cruel irony that all three players, along with Konate, have been stung by injury during the international break.Wataru Endo pulled out of the Japan squad due to a hamstring injury, while Robertson was spotted limping after Liverpool's defeat to Chelsea.Ryan Gravenberch was also taken off at half-time in the Netherlands' 4-0 victory over Finland on Sunday. However, as the October international break nears its end, these fears have been significantly eased.For starters, Robertson managed to shake off his injury worries to play most of both of Scotland's World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Belarus.Subbed off in stoppage time in the former as Scotland secured a 3-1 win, he then assisted their late winner in the latter match, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Scotland.As a result, he appears ready to face Manchester United on Sunday - and is even vying for a return to his usual left-back position, potentially replacing the underperforming Milos Kerkez.While Robertson seems likely to be fit, Endo and Gravenberch remain slight doubts.

However, the severity of their injuries has been downplayed.Japan boss Moriyasu Hajime disclosed that Endo was only granted a reprieve from international duty with Paraguay and Brazil at the eleventh hour, with the extensive journey time back to the midfielder's native country from Europe ultimately influencing the choice to keep him at Anfield."I was thinking about whether to call him up until the very last minute before the activity," he confessed during his pre-match press briefing ahead of taking on Paraguay. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL packageThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.