Arne Slot delivered a mixed fitness update ahead of Wednesday night’s must-win Champions League second leg against Galatasaray at Anfield, with news both encouraging and concerning in equal measure. Ibrahima Konate has been declared fit for the tie, Joe Gomez is a doubt after being unable to train on Tuesday, and Alexander Isak continues his individual recovery programme with no firm return date yet in sight. The picture is, in many ways, a microcosm of Liverpool’s entire season — a patchwork of availability, setbacks and cautious optimism that has tested Slot’s squad management at every turn.
Konate Ready to Return
The most welcome piece of news from Tuesday’s press conference was the confirmation that Ibrahima Konate is available for selection after missing the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield last Sunday. The Frenchman was absent from that match due to what Slot described as discomfort in his hamstring, a phrase that sent alarm bells ringing given Liverpool’s ongoing struggles to keep their defensive unit intact. Thankfully, those fears have not materialised into anything more serious. “Yeah, he is at this moment of time ready to play,” Slot confirmed. “The day after the game is recovery. If you play so many games with only two days of rest in between, you cannot do a lot. But he is declared completely fit, he doesn’t feel the discomfort anymore. So then he is ready to start and hopefully fulfil 90 minutes, or if needed even longer. But that’s what we have to find out tomorrow.”
Konate’s return could not come at a more critical moment. Liverpool face the biggest match of their season on Wednesday night, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Istanbul, where Mario Lemina’s header seven minutes into a frantic, end-to-end first half gave Galatasaray an advantage they defended with considerable determination. With Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo all still sidelined, Konate’s availability gives Slot the defensive backbone he needs to set up properly at Anfield and go after the goal that will drag Liverpool level on aggregate.
Gomez’s Fitness a Concern
The situation surrounding Joe Gomez is less straightforward. The experienced defender stepped in for Konate against Spurs last Sunday but found himself unable to take part in Liverpool’s matchday-minus-one training session on Tuesday, casting genuine doubt over his availability for Wednesday night. Slot was candid about the situation when asked directly. “Joe, we will decide that tomorrow. He wasn’t ready to train today. He had too many issues after our last game, although he had these issues already after the Galatasaray game in Istanbul and wasn’t planned to play against Tottenham. But unfortunately Ibou got discomfort in his hamstring so we couldn’t take the risk of playing him. That’s why Joe had to play, and that has built up so much that now he’s a bit of a doubt for tomorrow. But he’s going to try tomorrow to see if he is available.”
The circumstances surrounding Gomez’s situation are painfully typical of what Liverpool have had to navigate throughout this season. He was not supposed to play against Spurs, was only drafted in because Konate was unavailable, and now finds himself carrying the physical consequences of an appearance he was not originally scheduled to make. It is a cycle of compromise and consequence that has repeated itself numerous times across the campaign, and it speaks to a squad that has been stretched to its absolute limits.
Isak Getting Closer But Still Not Available
As for Alexander Isak, the news is similarly measured. The club-record signing, who underwent surgery in December following the broken leg he sustained earlier in the campaign, was seen taking part in an individual session on Tuesday, a sight that provided at least some visual encouragement for supporters watching closely. Slot was asked whether he now has a more definitive timescale in mind for the Norwegian’s return. “No, not really, but he will not be available for tomorrow, and not for Saturday as well,” Slot confirmed. “As long as you don’t train with the team yet, you are not ready to play. And as we all know, if you’ve done for months only individual sessions, it’s also quite a step up to train with the team, and when you train with the team, it’s quite a step up to play at Premier League intensity or Champions League intensity.”
Despite that caution, Slot’s tone when discussing Isak was notably more optimistic than it has been for much of the year. “The fact that you see him on the pitch tells you that he gets closer and closer to joining us again,” the head coach added. For a Liverpool side that has had to deploy Hugo Ekitike as their primary centre-forward for months, the eventual return of their most expensive player ever will be a significant moment whenever it finally comes.
Alisson Still Not Certain
Adding further complexity to Slot’s selection headache is the fitness of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who missed the first leg in Istanbul after picking up a minor muscle complaint in training. Giorgi Mamardashvili stepped in competently in Turkey, making his 12th appearance for the club, but Liverpool are measurably better with their first-choice goalkeeper. “I’m hopeful but that’s not to say I’m 100 per cent sure,” Slot said on Friday, before training on the eve of the match. Should Alisson not make it, Mamardashvili will line up between the posts at Anfield for one of the biggest nights the stadium has hosted in some time.
Ngumoha: A Premier League Start Coming Soon
Away from the injury news, Slot was also asked about the management of teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha, who started the FA Cup win at Wolves last week but was an unused substitute in Istanbul. The head coach reiterated his careful approach while simultaneously opening the door for bigger opportunities. “Rio is a player that could start for us,” Slot said. “He’s definitely an option to start in one of the upcoming three games.” With Cody Gakpo’s form under ongoing scrutiny and Liverpool in desperate need of directness and energy on the flanks, those words will have resonated loudly.
The Bigger Picture: A Season Defined by Wednesday Night
The stakes on Wednesday evening could not be higher for everyone at Liverpool Football Club. Slot’s side go into the second leg having won just once in four matches across all competitions, drawing with Spurs and losing at Wolves in the Premier League in the days either side of the first leg defeat. Galatasaray, meanwhile, are in supreme form, riding a five-game winning streak and arriving at Anfield with the confidence of a side that have beaten Liverpool twice this season without conceding a single goal.
Liverpool have history on their side in one key respect. They have successfully progressed from nine of thirteen European ties where they have lost the first leg 1-0. The Anfield atmosphere on a European night remains one of the most formidable forces in the game, and Slot himself has spoken of the crowd being a driving force. Virgil van Dijk struck an appropriately determined tone. “The second leg will be at our home and that’s definitely an advantage for us. Everything is in our hands when we’re at home. We’ll be playing there to advance to the next round.”
With Konate fit, Salah ready to lead the attack, and Szoboszlai carrying four Champions League goals and four assists into the match, Liverpool have the quality to do what is required. Wednesday night at Anfield is not just a football match. For Arne Slot and Liverpool Football Club, it may well be the night that defines their entire season.
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YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone)!
The Liverpool FC Times Team
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