Liverpool look set to mark a phenomenal first season under Arne Slot with a Premier League title.
The Reds are not there yet, and there are still several twists that could yet happen, but 13 points clear with 10 games to go is an incredible position to be in
For Slot, he could never have dreamed that taking over from Jurgen Klopp would be quite so smooth.
Klopp’s time as Liverpool manager was littered with trophies and the German is one of the most legendary figures in the club’s history.
However, there were also plenty of difficult moments to Klopp’s tenure. One of those was his final season in charge, where Liverpool threw away a title challenge in the last two months of the campaign.
Looking back almost one year on, Cody Gakpo has pinpointed an issue that arose from within the camp at that time
Cody Gakpo bemoans Liverpool injury problems
Gakpo is one of the players who has really come on leaps and bounds under Slot.
The 25-year-old started slowly but has morphed into Liverpool’s second most potent attacker under the guidance of his countryman
One thing that has always been apparant about Gakpo is his ability to stay fit. Despite a recent niggle, the Dutchman was Liverpool’s most used player throughout 2024.
Unfortunately, though, not all of the Liverpool squad are quite so robust. And speaking in a new interview with the Liverpool ECHO, Gakpo says injuries were the real problem of the Reds 2023/24 campaign
“The injuries are a thing,” he says. “Obviously with an injury, you cannot do anything about it sometimes in some ways. But it didn’t help last season that we missed I think six or seven players who could start every game and we missed them for one or two months. That didn’t help at all.
“Hopefully we can keep everybody fit,” adds Gakpo, reverting focus back to this season. “Or mostly everybody because some are already injured, but hopefully they can come back as soon as possible and we can keep everybody as fit as possible towards the end of the season and make it a good one.”
Who is currently injured for Liverpool?
Gakpo is absolutely right, if you rewind one year ago to Liverpool’s game against Nottingham Forest on March the 2nd 2024, it is evident just how deep the Reds were in the trenches.
Not only did Bobby Clark make his first Premier League start that day, but Joe Gomez also played the full game in midfield.
So often injured, Gomez was one of the few to stand up strong all season. However, the 27-year-old’s luck has not extended into this season. He is currently out and not expected back until the last weeks of the campaign.
Conor Bradley is also missing, meaning Slot’s right-back options are depleted even further. Bradley is expected to be back fit in several weeks.
Liverpool’s only other injury concern is Tyler Morton, who is set to miss the rest of the season