Anfield: Liverpool defender Jeremie Frimpong has been sidelined until after the September international break, as confirmed by manager Arne Slot.
Frimpong was substituted in the 60th minute during Liverpool's win over AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League season opener last Friday due to a hamstring issue. He exited the pitch limping, raising immediate concerns about his condition.
On Thursday, Slot confirmed that Frimpong will miss Liverpool's important matches against Newcastle on Monday and Arsenal the following Sunday. The Dutch manager expressed relief that they decided to substitute Frimpong in time; otherwise, his recovery period could have been prolonged.
"The medical team was absolutely correct in advising me to take Jeremie off, as he will be out until the end of the international break, which occurred during the match. I mentioned right after the game that it was unrelated to his performance, but we sensed he had a hamstring problem," Slot stated while addressing reporters, as quoted from the club's official website.
"When I say 'we,' I refer to the medical staff, not just myself. They made the right decision. It was a wise choice to substitute him; otherwise, he might have faced a longer absence. We anticipate having him back after the international break," he added.
Young Conor Bradley resumed training with the first team on Thursday, while Joe Gomez remains another option to fill the right flank. However, Slot indicated that Gomez is unlikely to start due to his limited playing time. He even proposed that midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo could step in and play as right back.
Conor participated with us for a few minutes today, marking his first appearance. Such occurrences are part of a season. Currently, we have two injuries, unfortunately both affecting the same position. The positive aspect is that there are others who can fill that role. Wataru has played in that position for a few minutes, and Dominik Szoboszlai has also taken on that role. We have additional alternatives to consider," Slot mentioned.
"Joe Gomez is certainly one of those alternatives. However, having him play 20 minutes was already quite significant. I wouldn't classify it as a setback, but he hasn't been able to train fully with the team for three consecutive days. This is entirely normal after being sidelined for an extended period, especially when the manager suddenly requires him for 20 minutes. He is training with the team, so we will assess his status on Monday to determine if he can participate or even start. There are also other options available," he continued.
