An “exceptional” Liverpool player has handed Arne Slot an injury boost after a social media post suggested he will be back in the folder sooner rather than later.
The Reds are having to cope with several fitness concerns ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Chelsea in the Premier League.
Alisson is out for around six weeks with a hamstring injury suffered against Crystal Palace last time around, while there have also been worries about Alexis Mac Allister’s availability. The latter should hopefully be available this weekend, though.
Meanwhile, Harvey Elliott is unavailable after suffering a fractured foot earlier in the campaign, acting as a big blow to the midfielder ahead of what he hoped would be a big campaign under Slot.
Taking to Instagram [via Football Insider], however, the 21-year-old posted a three-word message to supporters saying “see you soon”, hinting that he is making good progress in his recovery.
Our thoughts on Elliott’s injury update…
Having Elliott back soon will be fantastic for Liverpool ahead of a busy run of fixtures in the autumn and winter, not that he is expected to return imminently.
The young Englishman continues to mature into a wonderful footballer, with former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand saying of him back in 2022: “Harvey Elliott, I thought was exceptional at times.”
Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai may be Slot’s go-to midfield trio currently, but that’s not to say that Elliott won’t be an important player in his own right.
The former Fulham teenager could provide great competition for Szoboszlai in the more attack-minded midfield role, weaving his magic and bringing different attributes to the Hungarian.
It is sometimes easy to forget how young Elliott still is, so there is no pressure on him to reach his potential currently, and if he can avoid injuries moving forward, he can go on to enjoy a wonderful Liverpool career.
The fact that he is a boyhood Reds fan will likely give him that extra drive to be a success story at Anfield, and it is going to be fascinating to see how fares under Slot compared to Jurgen Klopp, as the Dutchman looks to take his game to another level.