On the injury front, things can change very quickly. Heading into this weekend, Liverpool will at least have a few more options to choose from ahead of its game with Brighton — but that may not last if the rest of the season is anything to go by.
Jürgen Klopp’s side has often seen someone pick up a new issue just when someone has come back. Darwin Núñez is fit to face Brighton having sat out of international duty with a knock and Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konaté are both available again having missed a few matches prior to the break.
Even more injury boosts are coming, though. The game against Manchester United next weekend could see Trent Alexander-Arnold return and it would be a major Liverpool boost if Diogo Jota could make his comeback as well.
Prior to the international break, Klopp had suggested that while Jota would not be back to face Brighton, he might be able to return to training shortly after that. The Portugal forward is not expected to be out for too much longer.
Jota was stretchered off in the first half of the 4-1 win over Brentford in mid-February after suffering a knee injury. Klopp said at the time that the Portuguese forward was facing ‘months’ on the sidelines but it was not season-ending.
“The other boys [including Jota] from next week on, step by step, they will join parts of team training,” Klopp said during his press conference on Friday. “We will see what we do with that. They aren’t too far away. They are all making their steps. It’s a positive.”
According to a study by the Daily Telegraph, Jota is the most influential Liverpool player when it comes to getting Premier League points on the board. Jota has 14 goals and four assists to date this season. If he can play the majority of the matches before the end of the campaign, he could get 20-plus for the second time in a Liverpool shirt.
