Liverpool handed triple injury blow as Xabi Alonso reunion looms

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Evening Standard

·1 November 2024

Liverpool handed triple injury blow as Xabi Alonso reunion looms

Reds will not have any of their absent crop back for next week’s Champions League showdown with Bayer Leverkusen

Liverpool will be without the key trio of Alisson, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa until after the November international break at least, manager Arne Slot has confirmed.

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First-choice goalkeeper Alisson has not played since being forced off in the second half of a 1-0 Premier League win at Crystal Palace before the recent October international break, being ruled out for approximately six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Portuguese forward Jota, meanwhile, sustained a rib injury during a collision with Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo during the recent 2-1 victory at Anfield and sat out the thrilling draw with title rivals Arsenal as well as the midweek Carabao Cup fourth round win at Brighton.

Chiesa has managed just two brief substitute appearances and one lone start that ended before the hour mark since joining Liverpool from Juventus in a cut-price transfer in the summer, not appearing since the third round Carabao Cup win over West Ham on September 25 after continuing to struggle with an unspecified fitness issue.

Injury blow: Arne Slot does not expect Liverpool forward Diogo Jota to return to action soon

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Hopes that any of that trio could play some part in a busy week coming up for Liverpool - with a swift reunion with Brighton in the top-flight on Saturday followed by the Champions League visit of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and a clash with Aston Villa - have now been extinguished by Slot, who hopes they can all return after the next round of internationals.

“I think I said it already a few times that it is always difficult to tell you exactly when they are ready because especially the last phase of the recovery can always be a few days extra or less,” Slot - who did get young full-back Conor Bradley back from injury in midweek - said of Alisson and Jota in his latest pre-Brighton press conference on Friday.

“The fact is that they are not there before the international break and let’s see if they can join us after.”

On Chiesa, he added: “Chiesa is not back before the international break, but there is only a week to go. We are hoping he can do things again during the international break and that he can join us afterwards.”

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