Liverpool’s best opportunity for a trophy this season is the FA Cup, but that will be a tough task, as the road to that glory goes through Manchester City. Yes, the Reds will travel to the Etihad for the quarterfinal round, and they’ll do so withouth a host of key players, including Alexander Isak, their £125m signing who broke the British record for a transfer fee. Alex Isak has returned to training after being sidelined more than three months due to a broken leg.
“Alex is in a really good place because Sweden qualified for the World Cup yesterday evening and apart from that he’s going to train with the group again for the first time tomorrow,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.
FA Cup Quarterfinals FYIs
Liverpool at Manchester City
Kickoff: Sat. April 4, 12:45pm, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Team News: Manchester City Liverpool Part 1 Liverpool Part 2
Full Detailed Injury Lists: Manchester City Liverpool
How They Got Here:
Manchester City: Newcastle 3-1, Salford City 2-0, Exeter City 10-1
Liverpool: Wolves 3-1, Brighton 3-0, Barnsley 4-1
Reds Team News
“Of course, it’s only his first session, after three or four months, with the team but it’s good to have him back because we all know who we signed and we’ve signed an incredible striker.
“So to have him again in a team that’s usually generating quite a lot of chances – and maybe not immediately from the first moment that he can start – but to have him back for the last two months is, I think, very helpful for us.”
He most likely won’t feature here on Saturday, but he could be back for the Champions League quarterfinals clash with Paris Saint-Germain next week
Moving on to Italian midfielder Federico Chiesa, he suffered a minor injury over the international window, but he’s cleared to play this weekend.
“Federico indeed came back from the national team, where he wasn’t able to play. But he trained with us today, so he will train with us tomorrow again and will be available for the game on the weekend,” said Slot.
And then finally, of course, you have the three long term injury absentees ruled for the season in Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.