What games Jeremie Frimpong will miss for Liverpool after crushing injury update
Liverpool right-back Jeremie Frimpong has suffered a huge injury setback.
The Dutchman impressed in Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Bournemouth on his competitive debut for the Reds.
However, the exciting right-back is set for a spell on the sidelines after Arne Slot gave an update on Frimpong’s status for the Newcastle clash on Monday.
The Magpies are already expected to be hyped up for the contest after the latest twist in the Alexander Isak saga, and they will be buoyed by the news.
What games Jeremie Frimpong will miss for Liverpool
There were reports that Frimpong faced a race against time to make Liverpool’s squad for the St James’ Park clash.
However, the situation is much worse than initially feared, as Slot confirmed a hamstring issue that will keep him out until after the September international break.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on 21 August, Slot said: “The medical team was completely right about Jeremie to take him off because he’s out until the end of the international break.
“We felt Jeremie had an issue in his hamstring – the medical team did. They were right. A good call from them as otherwise he could have been out for even longer.”
Luckily for the Reds, the international break comes at a nice time, considering the Frimpong blow, as he should only miss two matches.
He will be out of the clash with Eddie Howe’s side and will also miss the Anfield contest with title rivals Arsenal.
However, Slot may have an issue when it comes to replacing his fellow Dutchman in his starting line-up.
Liverpool replacements may not be fit either
Slot would naturally turn to Conor Bradley or Joe Gomez to fill in when Frimpong is sidelined, but he may not be able to do that.
The Northern Irishman has just returned to training, with Slot saying: “Conor trained with us for a few minutes today for the first time.”
Meanwhile, Gomez has also had injury issues, with Slot confirming that he has missed several training sessions.
- Gomez has missed a total of 34 games in the last three seasons
- Bradley missed 17 matches last season
The Dutchman gave an update on the 28-year-old, saying: “Joe Gomez hasn’t had a setback but he wasn’t able to train three days in a row.
“We will see where he is on Monday and if he can start. You can’t prepare for injuries in one position – you can’t have five right-backs. Although we do have three left-backs at the moment!”
It is an interesting problem for Slot to solve, especially with two huge matches on the horizon, but he has other solutions in his squad.
Curtis Jones has proven that he can deputise in the position before, most notably against Everton in a 1-0 win in April.
Wataru Endo can also play in the position, but his lack of pace could cause issues if he is forced into a makeshift role in the defence.
Given how crucial the next two matches will be in their title defence, it will be a fascinating watch to see how Slot solves the problem.
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