Liverpool have been handed a huge double injury boost ahead of their meeting with Manchester United after both Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch were passed fit.
However, first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker remains sidelined with a hamstring issue and will not face United, while he has also been ruled out of the upcoming trips to Eintracht Frankfurt and Brentford.
"Ryan is completely fit,” Reds boss Arne Slot told the media on Friday. "Konate has come back to us and is expected to train today.
"Alisson - he is not training, he is out. It's so difficult to say [when he will return], because the end phase of rehab can give positives and negatives, but he will not play this weekend or next week."
Fears over first-choice centre-back Konate’s status for Sunday’s showdown with United at Anfield were sparked when he was forced off with a thigh problem early in the second half during the last-gasp defeat by Chelsea prior to the international break.
He subsequently joined up with the France squad as normal, but did not play in their World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan and later withdrew before the game against Iceland, returning to Merseyside to undergo treatment and assessment.
Meanwhile, in-form midfielder Gravenberch played the full 90 minutes against Chelsea and was even required to fill in at centre-back during the dramatic 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge amid Liverpool’s injury problems.
However, concerns regarding his fitness arose when he was substituted at half-time of the Netherlands’ win over Finland on Sunday, with Dutch boss Ronald Koeman revealing that the decision was made as a precaution due to a hamstring complaint.
Slot will be relieved to have both Konate and Gravenberch fit to face United as out-of-sorts champions Liverpool seek to bounce back against their fiercest rivals after suffering three defeats in a row across all competitions, particularly given their lack of cover in defence with summer signing Giovanni Leoni out for the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Fellow new arrival Giorgi Mamardashvili will continue to deputise in goal for Liverpool in their next three matches, having made his Premier League debut in the absence of Alisson against Chelsea.
Alisson sustained a hamstring injury during Liverpool’s Champions League defeat by Galatasaray last month and it was reported that he could miss up to six weeks of action.
Liverpool’s other injury concern during the international break was versatile midfielder Wataru Endo, who was omitted from the Japan squad for friendlies against Paraguay and Brazil.
