Arne Slot May Have Confirmed One Liverpool Star Will Not Feature in Merseyside Derby Against Everton After What He Did v Plymouth
Liverpool are set to face Everton at Goodison Park for the last time this week. Following their unexpected FA Cup exit, Liverpool must quickly refocus on Wednesday’s highly anticipated Merseyside Derby. The Reds will make their final visit to Goodison Park before the postponed clash with Everton takes place.
Hopes of an extraordinary quadruple in Arne Slot’s debut season were dashed when Liverpool suffered a shocking FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle. The struggling Championship side secured victory with a single goal, capitalising on a penalty awarded after a Harvey Elliott handball.
Slot fielded a significantly rotated squad against Plymouth, mindful of Liverpool’s demanding fixture schedule. After facing Everton, the Reds will encounter Wolves, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Newcastle United within just two weeks.
Key players such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson were completely rested for Sunday’s match, with Slot making ten changes from the Carabao Cup semi-final victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The manager also included several young players on the bench, leaving out numerous first-team regulars to allow them time to recover. One of Slot’s squad decisions could potentially reveal an injury concern ahead of the Everton clash.
Arne Slot Potentially Hints at Everton Injury Absence
Trent Alexander-Arnold was absent from the match against Tottenham Hotspur after being forced off in the second half of Liverpool’s Premier League victory over Bournemouth. He was also missing from both the starting line-up and the bench for the FA Cup tie at Home Park, alongside Conor Bradley.
Bradley, at 21 years old, is Liverpool’s primary alternative to Alexander-Arnold at right-back. There have even been suggestions that he could challenge the vice-captain for a starting role in the future, provided he remains at the club beyond the summer.
Despite Alexander-Arnold’s unavailability, Bradley was not named in the matchday squad, which could indicate that he is being preserved for a full 90-minute outing against Everton.
Before the game against Plymouth, Arne Slot was questioned about his squad’s fitness and whether Alexander-Arnold would be available for selection.
“No, I don’t think so yet. That’s going to be too early for him,” the boss answered during his pre-match press conference. “Difficult to say [about the derby].
“Like I said before, it’s not going to take months and not even weeks but that’s only three days after the Plymouth Argyle game, so let’s wait and see if he is available.
“We also have to look at the long term, of course we don’t want to take any risks with so many games afterwards coming up. But if he’s fit then of course we will use him.”
With uncertainty surrounding his fitness for the derby, Bradley may have a significant role to play at right-back against Everton.
Alexander-Arnold remains a doubt for the derby, while Curtis Jones could also be unavailable to face Everton. The midfielder was originally set to start in the FA Cup clash but was relegated to the bench on the morning of the match, with Slot explaining that Jones “did not feel fully fit.”
Tyler Morton is still sidelined with a shoulder injury, with no confirmed timeline for his return. Adding to Liverpool’s injury concerns, Joe Gomez, who had only just made his comeback, was forced off after ten minutes against Plymouth.
Gomez had been recovering from a hamstring injury and made his first appearance of 2025, captaining the team against Plymouth. However, an early setback saw him replaced by Isaac Mabaya shortly after kick-off.
Slot could not provide a detailed update on Gomez’s condition and admitted he was unsure whether the defender had injured the same leg as before. However, he confirmed that the situation “didn’t feel good” for Gomez, who was substituted to prevent further aggravation.
“I am not too sure if it was the same leg but I haven’t had time to ask him,” Slot said. “It was clear, I think we all know which moment he felt a bit insecure about it because he didn’t sprint back fully. Then he said, ‘I am not 100 percent sure and I am afraid if I make one extra sprint things will go wrong.’ It’s not torn I assume, but it didn’t feel good for him.”
In other news, Liverpool Must Brūtally Cash in on 4/10 Dud Who Earns Even More Than Diaz & Elliott
