Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he is unsure if Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez will be fit for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. Both players are absent from the Reds team to face Luton in the Premier League on Wednesday.
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Salah returned from a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s 4-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday. However, the winger suffered discomfort in the same area after the game, with Klopp saying they are taking his rehabilitation “day by day”.
Nunez hobbled off at half-time during the same match. It was initially suspected that he was withdrawn as a precaution due to injuries suffered by Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones in the first half.
However, the Uruguayan is not involved in Liverpool’s clash with Luton. Klopp is unable to confirm that he and Salah will be able to face Chelsea at Wembley this weekend.
The Liverpool boss told Sky Sports: “They couldn’t have played tonight. From here we will see who will be back for Sunday but that is not important at the moment.”
Both setbacks come with Klopp attempting to navigate a growing injury crisis at Anfield. Liverpool have 10 absentees for Luton’s visit.
Goalkeeper Alisson is set to miss at least a month with a muscular problem, with Brazil coach Dorival Junior confirming on Tuesday that the 31-year-old will miss international friendlies against England and Spain in March. That would also rule Alisson out of Liverpool’s crunch Premier League meeting with Manchester City on March 10.
Forward Jota was carried off against Brentford with a knee injury Klopp says will keep the Portugal international out for “months”. Midfielder Jones had gone off early in the game at the Gtech Community Stadium.
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Thiago Alcantara had only recently returned having had hip surgery midway through last year. But he managed only five minutes of this month’s defeat against Arsenal before suffering a fresh problem in the area.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Stefan Bajcetic and Joel Matip are also currently sidelined. It is unclear if Szoboszlai or Alexander-Arnold will be ready to face Chelsea, while Bajcetic and Matip are long-term absentees.
With Salah and Nunez absent, Klopp selected a front three of Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz to face Luton. There are five teenagers on the substitutes’ bench, emphasising Liverpool’s lack of senior options.
