“Arne Slot Strikes Blow to Liverpool’s Plans: Four Key Stars Missing for Southampton Clash!”

“Arne Slot confirms Liverpool’s squad hit hard: Four key players out ahead of Southampton showdown!”

Liverpool, currently top of the league, will be without four key players for their upcoming trip to Southampton, confirmed Arne Slot.

Arne Slot has confirmed that four players will miss Liverpool’s trip to Southampton on Sunday, but offered encouraging news regarding Virgil van Dijk.

The league leaders, who are currently five points clear at the top after Manchester City’s consecutive defeats, are set to face the club at the bottom of the table. Concerns had been raised among Liverpool fans when captain Virgil van Dijk left the Netherlands’ squad on “medical grounds” before a UEFA Nations League match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, Slot has reassured fans that van Dijk is fit to play against his former club. Alisson Becker has returned to training with the goalkeeping coach but isn’t yet ready for Sunday’s match. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, and Federico Chiesa are still working on their recoveries.

Harvey Elliott is steadily recovering after a long spell on the sidelines due to a broken foot he sustained in September and has now returned to training.

In his press conference, Slot shared an update: “Virgil is all good. He is training with us today.”

“Trent isn’t training with us yet, but he’s making progress, so we expect him to be back with us soon.

“Harvey is back training with us, which is a positive sign. He’s been out for many weeks, but it’s great to see him back on the training ground with the team.

“Jota is still working separately, and Federico is gradually rejoining the sessions, possibly taking part in one exercise today.

“They’re all expected to return in the coming weeks, but the final stage of recovery is always the hardest. So, we’ll have to wait and see. But Virgil is fully fit and ready.”

The fixtures are coming thick and fast for Liverpool, with clashes against Real Madrid and Manchester City next week. Slot doesn’t expect Jota and Alisson to be fit in time, while Alexander-Arnold’s availability remains uncertain, as he continues to recover from a hamstring issue.

Slot emphasized the difficulty in assessing recovery progress, noting that the jump to full group training is a significant step.

“It’s something we have to wait and see on,” Slot said when asked about their fitness for the upcoming games against Real Madrid and City. “As I mentioned, the final stages of recovery are always the most tricky.”

“Because they have to transition from isolated training to group sessions, and that step is always the hardest part.

“So, it’s difficult for me to judge right now and predict whether it will be one, two, or three days, or perhaps a bit longer.”

Liverpool have accumulated 28 points from 11 games so far, with their only loss coming at home to Nottingham Forest in September.