Liverpool without up to FIVE first-team stars for Southampton as injury and suspension crisis DEEPENS

Liverpool are flying high at the top of the Premier League as well as in the Champions League and factoring in the EFL Cup and FA Cup, Arne Slot’s side will be fighting for four trophies this season.

To maintain challenges in that quarter of competitions, the Reds head coach is going to require each and every member of his squad to contribute.

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At the outset of the season, Slot preferred to rely on a select band within his squad but as time has gone on injuries and suspensions have begun to bite.

The Dutchman has been unable to get his favourite XI onto the field too often in the past couple of months and more challenges now lie in store ahead of the Merseysiders’ next crucial outing.

Liverpool defensive crisis

Liverpool take on Southampton in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday night with Slot facing plenty of selection headaches, not least in defence.

With his side facing an intense run of fixtures between now and the end of the year, Slot might well have been hoping to rest his key players. However, unfavourable circumstances mean he will have to get creative just in order to put an XI together at St. Mary’s.

He is without first-choice centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who injured his knee towards the end of a Champions League win against Real Madrid last month. Conor Bradley was also injured that night and, like the Frenchman, the right-back is not yet back training with his team.

In ordinary times, the Northern Ireland international might well be expected to deputise for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has not long returned from an injury of his own. However, it looks like Trent will not be afforded a rest as Slot is desperately short of defensive options.

Jota adds to problems

On the other side, Andy Robertson will serve his one-match suspension having been sent off at the weekend against Fulham in the Premier League. His understudy, Kostas Tsimikas, remains absent although there was some encouragement with the news on Tuesday morning that he has returned to training.

A lack of options on the left side could bring James Norris back into the starting XI for the first time in three years. Under-fire Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez are the other defensive options at Slot’s disposal.

It will be the usual cast of characters in midfield with Alexis Mac Allister coming back from suspension and up front there could well be game time for Federico Chiesa.

Diogo Jota is ANOTHER late addition to the worry list, despite only making his comeback at the weekend following an upper-body injury sustained in October.

Slot revealed that the 28-year-old didn’t finish the Fulham game in great condition and that he wouldn’t be able to start the game on Wednesday.

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