Liverpool: Arne Slot offers new Cody Gakpo injury update before Aston Villa and Man City tests | OneFootball

Reds were without four players for nervy Premier League win over Wolves at Anfield

Arne Slot has issued a new update on Liverpool potentially having Cody Gakpo back for their midweek trip to Aston Villa.

The Dutch forward missed Sunday’s nervy 2-1 win over Wolves in the Premier League that restored his side’s seven-point title lead over Arsenal having been substituted in the second half of the chaotic midweek Merseyside derby draw at Everton with an unspecified knock.

Gakpo has been an important player for Liverpool this season, scoring 16 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions so far.

Quizzed on his compatriot’s absence against Wolves, Slot told reporters: “Cody didn't have a yellow card or whatever! He got a knock in the Everton game. A few of us got a knock but he got an injury from that.”

Pressed on if Gakpo would be back for Wednesday night’s trip to Aston Villa in the top-flight that is followed quickly by a huge showdown at Manchester City and the visit of Newcastle to Anfield for a Carabao Cup final dress rehearsal, Slot added: “Under debate. It's fast, Wednesday already, so let's wait and see. It wasn't a soft knock then!”

Along with Gakpo, Liverpool also remained without the injured Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton against Wolves, while Curtis Jones served a one-match suspension after his post-match red card against Everton but will be back in contention for the journey to Villa Park.

However, Slot confirmed that Ibrahima Konate’s withdrawal at half-time was due to fears over a second yellow card, rather than any injury scare.

Asked if his players had been suffering from fatigue during their nervy second half against Wolves, Slot said: “I never judge a situation on 20 minutes. On Wednesday evening, I saw a team fighting until the last second – pressing, working, being so, so, so fit.

“I want to take into account these players are not tired, not at all. They are able to play every three days in the highest intensity, but you have to take the mental part of the game into the occasion as well.

“All the events that happened on Wednesday evening, it's not only working hard, what did it do to us mentally as well, these last eight minutes of injury time? I can even tell you what it did to me mentally, let alone what it did to these players that had to run so much.

“Then if you come into this game and with the disallowed goal and the penalty [being overturned] – both correct decisions – and them scoring, again it asks a lot of your mentality if you are indeed maybe a bit more tired. But these players are able to be all on it again on Wednesday and Sunday as well.”