Liverpool left to sweat on three new injuries as Arne Slot handed crucial blessing in disguise

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Liverpool have been stung by a number of injury issues so far this season as Arne Slot's new-look side takes its time to gelTheo Squires was appointed Liverpool FC Writer for the Liverpool ECHO in 2021, after covering EURO 2020 at Wembley as England reached their first major men's final since 1966. With Liverpool heading into the international break off the back of three successive defeats, it is open to debate whether a break from club duties comes out a good or bad time for Arne Slot’s squad.

On one hand, they face a long fortnight ahead of their next clash, at home to Manchester United, as they will be left to stew on their recent struggles.But on the other, a step back and change of scenery with their international colleagues could prove beneficial as Slot and his staff ponder how best to stop the reigning Premier League champions’ mini-blip.At the very least, the international break has come at a good time for Liverpool on the injury front.READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold agreement reached as Liverpool sent clear messageREAD MORE: Chelsea star admits they targeted one Liverpool player as Arne Slot warned he has 'clear problem'The Reds suffered three potential blows in the loss to Chelsea on Saturday, with Slot confirming after the final whistle that Ibrahima Konate had been substituted at Stamford Bridge because of a quad injury.While the centre-back is yet to withdraw from the France squad because of the issue, a decision will be made after further assessment.Elsewhere, Wataru Endo, who came on as a late substitute at Chelsea, has withdrawn from the Japan squad to further deplete Liverpool numbers, with the ECHO understanding he has suffered a muscle injury.The midfielder was only introduced in the 86th minute at Stamford Bridge as the Reds looked to see out a 1-1 draw, only for Estevao to net a 95th minute winner for the hosts.Slot would later defend his decision to send on Endo ahead of Federico Chiesa, though his now emerged injury issue only rubs further salt in the wounds following the stoppage-time loss.“If you look at the substitution we made, we brought Endo [on] who we normally bring in if we think we need a bit more control,” Slot explained to beIN Sports. “The last 10-15 minutes were so open and we were still able maybe to create but definitely needed the control because we were already with Ryan Gravenberch playing as a centre-back.“I don't think that substitution was too defensive, the rest was because we were 1-0 down and tried to win but making offensive substitutions.”Meanwhile, Andy Robertson was seen limping off after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge to prompt further concerns, though, like Konate, the Scotland captain remains selected by his country as things stand.The Reds recently lost Alisson Becker to a hamstring injury that is expected to rule him out until after the November international break, while Giovanni Leoni suffered a season-ending ACL injury when making his debut for the club last month and has since undergone surgery.Liverpool have also suffered their fair share of niggling injuries in recent weeks, which has not aided Slot when trying to find ways for his new-look side to gel.Hugo Ekitike limped off in the defeat to Galatasaray last week, though was fit enough to feature as a substitute against Chelsea, while Chiesa missed the trip to Turkey with a minor issue of his own.Curtis Jones sat out two games with a muscle injury suffered before the September international break, and has again been left out of the England squad despite his return in recent weeks.The Reds are also currently without academy starlets Jayden Danns and Trey Nyoni after they suffered injuries while on duty for the club’s Under-21s and Under-19s respectively to further limit Slot’s reserve numbers.

And Stefan Bajcetic is yet to return to team training as he continues his rehabilitation after undergoing surgery on his hamstring in the summer.But Liverpool have also had to contend with lingering issues from pre-season, with Alexander Isak still building his way back up after a disjointed summer with former club Newcastle United as he looked to force through a move to Anfield.Alexis Mac Allister and Conor Bradley are also playing catch-up following injuries of their own, with the Argentine still not at his best following his return from a long-term injury that ended his campaign last time out.And Jeremie Frimpong is yet to find his feet after suffering a hamstring injury on his Premier League debut that sidelined him for a month.When winning the title last season, Liverpool were aided by a respectable injury record that freed up Slot to predominantly remain consistent with squad selection. Only time will tell if Konate, Endo and Robertson are available for the home clash with Manchester United.It has been a challenging week for Slot’s men, losing to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea, and they must now wait a fortnight for an opportunity to put things right on the pitch.But with the majority of the Liverpool squad departing for national duty in the interim, Slot will hope that, in this instance, a change is as good as a rest.