Liverpool FC are still alive for a treble, and the quest continues with a home fixture versus Brighton in nine days time. The Reds injury list runs 12 deep now, but we’ll get into all of it, breaking it down in two distinct parts of six. the gamut in two portions. Here in part two, we will cover Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Ibrahima Konate, Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip.
In part one, linked here, we got you up to speed on Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Doak and Stefan Bajcetic.
Nunez (thigh), Diaz (groin) and Gakpo (ankle) all got injured in the marathon defeat to arch-rival Manchester United, with Nunez dropping out of Uruguay duty this international break. It is understood to only be precautionary though, and he should be fine to be in the squad on the 31st.
As for Diaz (Colombia) and Gakpo (Netherlands), they both hooked up with their respective national teams, so barring any unforeseen issues, they’ll be available versus the Seagulls.
As for Konate (thigh), he was supposedly in contention to play against United, up until the end, before losing his race against time. So he should also be fine for the next time. The news is worse for Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara. Both are not just done for the season, but also in terms of their Liverpool tenure.
The duo will see their contracts expire in the summer, and given the way things have gone, it is very likely that their time at the Merseyside club is through.
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 Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.