Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton is set for a spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, with Arne Slot claiming he will be sidelined for “weeks”.
Morton has been an impressive young player at Anfield for some time, but at 22 years of age, he will be assessing his future at the club.
The Englishman has already enjoyed two stints out on loan in recent years, playing for both Hull City and Blackburn Rovers, but he stayed put at Liverpool before the recently completed January transfer window, amid interest in him.
Now, Morton has suffered an injury setback, however, with Slot confirming as much ahead of the Reds’ FA Cup trip to Plymouth Argyle this weekend, saying he could be out “for weeks or maybe even longer.”
Liverpool’s head coach also provided an update on Trent Alexander-Arnold, admitting that he faces a race against time to be fit for next Wednesday’s vital trip to Everton in the Premier League:
“Difficult to say [about the derby]. Like I said before, it’s not going to take months and not even weeks but that’s only three days after the Plymouth Argyle game, so let’s wait and see if he is available.
“We also have to look at the long term, of course we don’t want to take any risks with so many games afterwards coming up. But if he’s fit then of course we will use him.”
A cruel blow for Morton
A fit Morton would likely have started for Liverpool at Plymouth on Sunday afternoon, so this injury acts as a big blow for him.
The midfielder has been limited when it comes to playing time this season, only starting three matches in all competitions, which highlights why he will surely be weighing up his future.
In Ryan Gravennberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboslzai, Liverpool have a world-class starting trio currently, while Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are also excellent options.
For that reason, it is difficult to see Morton being able to fully make the grade in a Reds shirt moving forward, with a permanent move away in the summer making the most sense for him.