BREAKING NEWS: Liverpool star who has been Liverpool best player this season has been ruled out of the Man City match on Sunday.

Arne Slot had little time to reflect on the draw against Aston Villa as Liverpool quickly turned their attention to an important clash with Manchester City. Speaking to the media, the manager shared key injury updates, beginning with Cody Gakpo.

“Let’s see, I hope he’ll be available, but I’m not 100% sure. He hasn’t trained with the team yet—maybe a little today. It’ll be a close call,” Slot admitted.

Slot then provided an update on Conor Bradley after the defender picked up a knock at Villa Park. The news was not promising:

“No, he still has to come in, so we don’t know yet. I’d be completely surprised if he’s involved against City or Newcastle. You can assume that’s not going to happen.”

Joe Gomez’s situation appears even more serious, with Slot confirming that the defender underwent surgery for a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for an extended period.

“Joe had surgery, so he’ll be out for a long time—maybe he’ll return just before the season ends.”

The Liverpool manager also addressed the status of Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold, both of whom are recovering from injuries but require careful workload management.

“They’re not injured, but they’re coming back from injury. They won’t be able to play 90 minutes five times in 15 days—it’s too risky, as we saw with Conor Bradley.”

With Alexander-Arnold needing to be gradually reintroduced and two key defenders unavailable, Liverpool’s squad depth in defense will face a serious test in the coming weeks.

Darwin Núñez may feature against City, particularly with Gakpo and Jota not yet at full fitness. After his costly miss against Villa and recent social media discussions, this match provides an opportunity to respond to his critics.

Although some supporters may question the club’s decision not to reinforce the defense in January, Jarell Quansah has shown he can fill in at right-back if needed.

With five matches in just 15 days before a more manageable March schedule, Liverpool must navigate this demanding period carefully—balancing player fitness while securing crucial points in the title race.