Bold opening: Florian Wirtz’s health is the missing puzzle piece Liverpool’s manager hopes will click into place soon, but the prognosis right now is that Tuesday’s Wolves trip may come too soon for him.
Arne Slot signaled realistic optimism about Wirtz’s return while keeping expectations measured. He suggested that this week’s Premier League clash at Molineux is likely too early for the midfielder to feature as he recovers from a back injury, though he stopped short of ruling out a late comeback in the near future.
Wirtz missed Liverpool’s 5-2 win over West Ham on Saturday, after pulling out of the warmup prior to the previous weekend’s 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest. Slot had initially hoped the No. 7 would be fit to face the Hammers, but he explained before kickoff that the recovery had progressed more slowly than anticipated.
In the post-match briefing, Slot offered another update, indicating that Wirtz’s return is plausible but not guaranteed for the upcoming fixtures. At this stage, the most likely scenario is that he’ll be available for the second Wolves match in the coming week.
“I think that will be too early, but I said last week I didn’t expect him not to be available today,” Slot remarked when questioned about a potential comeback for Tuesday’s Premier League game.
“Sometimes with an injury things can develop positively or negatively. Right now, we don’t expect Tuesday to work, but the week after is looking tighter—though I still thought he’d be available today as well.”
Liverpool are not ruling out Wirtz’s involvement in the next two games, but with a league clash on Tuesday followed by an FA Cup fifth-round tie at the same venue on Friday, the schedule is understandably tight.
A more realistic option could be the first leg of Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 showdown with Galatasaray, set for an early kickoff in Istanbul on March 10.
Wirtz is currently Liverpool’s sole short-term injury concern in the senior squad. Wataru Endo has undergone surgery, joining long-term absentees Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni in the treatment room.
On a brighter note, Jeremie Frimpong returned to action on Saturday after missing a month, playing a pivotal role in securing the victory by delivering a cross that forced an own goal from Axel Disasi to make it 5-2.
Frimpong’s return is a significant boost, especially with Wirtz sidelined. It allows Dominik Szoboszlai to continue operating in his advanced midfield position with greater freedom.
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