The Mo Salah era at Liverpool FC isn’t over yet. While the Egyptian forward has made it official that he’s leaving Anfield at the end of the season, there is now renewed hope that he will be healthy enough to feature again before he departs. Forced off in the win over Crystal Palace, due to a suspected hamstring injury, there were fears that he was done for the season.
However, the club said yesterday that the problem is a “minor muscle injury” and that it is “anticipated” Salah will be fully fit again before Championship Sunday.
Manchester United vs Liverpool FC FYIs
Kickoff: Sun May 3rd, Old Trafford
Team News: Man United Liverpool
Google Result Probability: Liverpool win 34% Draw 25% Man United win 41%
PL Standing: Man United 3rd, 61 pts Liverpool 4th, 58 pts
Liverpool Team News
We won’t see Salah against United on Sunday though.
The other major injury concerns lie in between the sticks. This game could mark the return of No. 1 goalkeeper Alisson, who has been out since the March international break, with what was reportedly a hamstring injury.
Manager Arne Slot said the following on Friday: “Alisson is close to returning to play. Let’s see if tomorrow comes too early. That leaves Freddie (Woodman) as an option, who is definitely fit.”
So it stands to reason that if Alisson was close to fully fit this past weekend (although he ultimately wasn’t), he really should be ready to go for this one. Backup man Giorgi Mamardashvili is not, with Slot confirming on Friday that his No.2 will be out for “weeks” yet.
So there is still an outside chance that Woodman, the No. 3, gets the call here. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Eslewhere Wataru Endo comes off the “done for the season” list. There is hope that the Japanese midfielder could play again this season, with Slot saying on Friday:
“Endo is starting to go out, not with the team, but he is starting to do exercises outside with the rehab team. He will not be available next week or the week after. We are hoping for him to be back at the end of the season.”
But of course, you still have the four players who are out injured for the remainder- Jayden Danns, Hugo Ekitike, 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, Ratings and RG. 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.