Liverpool head coach Arne Slot had admitted that Luis Diaz isn’t a certainty to face Brentford this weekend, even though he still expects him to be fit.
The Reds make the tough trip to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon, in what feels like a significant game in the Premier League title race.
The 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest in midweek, coupled with Arsenal’s 2-1 victory at home to Tottenham, means that Liverpool are only four points clear at the top of the table, having played one game less.
Further dropped points this weekend would be a further sign that the Reds are flagging a little, so the importance of victory cannot be downplayed, and Diogo Jota is a doubt, which is a huge blow.
Speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s match [via This Is Anfield], Slot admitted that Diaz missed training on Thursday through illness, but hopes to have him available.
“I assume he is [OK], yesterday he wasn’t allowed [at training] because he had, I think it was, a bit of a sore throat,” Slot said.
“But I assume he will be training with us today. But I still have to hear this, but we are expecting him to train with us today.”
Our thoughts on Slot’s fitness update on Diaz…
To have Diaz unavailable as well as Jota would be an enormous blow for Liverpool, with the latter’s latest setback a cruel blow after his brilliant goalscoring cameo away to Forest.
Thankfully, it sounds as though it would be a surprise if the Colombian misses out against Brentford, and if he is fit, he will surely lead the line in his central role again.
Granted, Diaz hasn’t been in the most sparkling form of late, with Slot’s decision to use him down the middle not always paying off, but he feels like a better option than Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan is back after missing the Forest game through suspension and will be desperate to prove his worth as rumours about his future refuse to go away, but he isn’t in good enough form to warrant starting such a huge match for Liverpool.