Liverpool injury update : Arne Slot has confirmed that Diogo Jota will be returning, and he has also revealed when Federico Chiesa is expected to play, along with positive updates on Ibrahima Konate’s fitness…

Arne Slot has announced that Diogo Jota is expected to be included in the squad for the upcoming match against Fulham, while Federico Chiesa is also anticipated to make his return.

Arne Slot has indicated that Diogo Jota will be back soon, while also disclosing when Federico Chiesa will take the field and providing optimistic news regarding Ibrahima Konate’s fitness.

Both Jota and Chiesa have been unavailable for several months, which has complicated Slot’s choices for the attacking lineup.

With only four senior forwards available, the head coach has been rotating Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez, while Mohamed Salah has participated in every match.

However, this week has seen both Jota and Chiesa return to full training under the supervision of Liverpool’s medical team, and during his pre-match press conference, Slot indicated that both players could be available for the Fulham game.

“I believe they are [available]. We have one more training session to complete,” he informed the media.

“Federico has missed a significant amount of time and was unwell last week, so we need to assess his condition closely.

“Diogo may be included in the squad – and Federico could be as well, but that will depend on our numbers and his recovery from illness.”

While Jota is likely to be considered for immediate selection, potentially starting from the bench, Slot will be more cautious regarding Chiesa’s reintegration.

The Italian forward played an hour in the U21s’ 4-3 defeat to Nordsjaelland earlier this month but was unable to travel for the Champions League match against Girona due to illness.

This was certainly a setback, and given his lengthy injury absence and lack of pre-season with Juventus, Liverpool will exercise utmost caution.

Discussing Chiesa’s recovery journey, Slot acknowledged the challenges of reintegrating him into a demanding schedule but suggested that he might be ready to return for the Carabao Cup match against Southampton on Wednesday night.

“The challenge lies in the frequency of our matches,” he noted.

What he requires is more playing time. The challenge arises when a player has not participated in matches for five or six months; it can be difficult for a manager to grant him his initial minutes, as the expectations are uncertain.

“I observe him during training, but ideally, he would participate in a friendly match during the week or play in a U21 game to better assess his readiness.

“However, that is not our current reality; we have a packed schedule with numerous games.

“Perhaps the upcoming match against Southampton could provide a suitable opportunity for him to gain some playing minutes, allowing us to better gauge what he can contribute.

“Certainly, we recognize his abilities and are aware of his potential, but he must achieve a certain level of fitness.

“Training alone does not equate to the experience gained from actual match play. To reach specific fitness benchmarks, playing time is essential.

“Yet, when competing for the league title and in the Champions League, finding those minutes can be challenging—unless we find ourselves in a comfortable lead, which has only happened once this season.

“Against Bournemouth at home, we were 3-0 up at halftime, but most matches have been hard-fought battles until the final whistle.”