Arne Slot confirms Liverpool star ruled out for Sunday’s clash with Arsenal | OneFootball

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has confirmed Liverpool will be without Diogo Jota for their Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.

The Portuguese forward sustained an injury in last weekend’s 2-1 win against Chelsea at Anfield and subsequently missed the 1-0 victory away at RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Jota’s injury adds to Liverpool’s growing list of absentees ahead of the crucial clash. Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley will miss out as well, while Alisson Becker and Harvey Elliott remain on the sidelines with long-term injuries.

Slot provided an update on the players’ conditions: “I think they feel good, but not when it comes to playing for us during the weekend. Federico might train with us today or tomorrow, but Diogo definitely not. Conor Bradley, let’s see if he can be with us tomorrow.”

Despite these setbacks, Liverpool remain in a strong position, sitting at the top of the Premier League table with a one-point lead. The Reds have won seven of their eight matches this season and remain unbeaten away from home, with a perfect record of four wins from four on the road.

“It’s part of our lives, the players are used to the schedule. These challenges are there and they are experienced to prepare in the best possible way,” Slot said.

“We’ve had 3 days in between for this one, more than Leipzig and Brighton. We’ve had one day less than the teams we face in the recovery but that is part of the season. The players get the helps from a fantastic staff to be in the best shape and it is my job to prepare them tactically.”

Liverpool will aim to extend their gap with Arsenal to seven points with a win, with Darwin Nunez expected to continue leading the line in Jota’s absence. Slot also commented on Alisson’s recovery from a hamstring injury, saying: “He’s progressing well, like we expect. But it’s not a short-term recovery.”