Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch suffers hamstring injury, as Reds dealt another fitness blow…

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has sustained a hamstring injury, adding to the Reds’ fitness concerns.

Manager Arne Slot will be without his key player for several weeks.

Liverpool faces a major injury setback as Ryan Gravenberch has developed a hamstring issue while on international duty.

The Dutch international was taken off at half-time during his country’s match against Finland on Sunday, and the 23-year-old will undergo evaluation before the Reds’ Premier League match against Manchester United this weekend.

The severity of the injury remains uncertain, but Arne Slot is already managing several challenges within his squad at this time.

“Ryan mentioned he felt some minor discomfort in his hamstring,” Netherlands coach Ronaldo Koeman told NOS when questioned about the midfielder. “We certainly didn’t want to take any chances with that.”

Gravenberch himself commented after the match: “It was somewhat related to fitness. The season is lengthy, so it was a precaution. I’m feeling well and have the coach’s trust.”

Slot is encountering a fitness dilemma as he readies for the arrival of Ruben Amorim’s team at Anfield this weekend. Goalkeeper Alisson remains out due to a thigh injury, which likely means Giorgi Mamardashvili will start the match.

Additionally, defender Ibrahima Konate pulled out of the France squad on Saturday due to a quadriceps injury, having been forced to leave the field with the same recurring issue during Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea.

Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni are the only other players absent, leaving Slot to seek a winning strategy from a team that has not lost in their last three consecutive matches across all competitions.

“I believe that if you play the style we adopt – a high press – and the style Chelsea employs – also a high press – it would be surprising if both teams, given the quality they possess, never manage to break through your press, so that would be unrealistic,” Slot remarked following his team’s defeat against the Blues.

“You arrive at Stamford Bridge knowing they have eight players injured, leading you to think, ‘This could be advantageous, as they likely lack depth on the bench.’ However, they still had several strong substitutes available to influence the match.

“Therefore, it would be unrealistic to assume that when facing Chelsea – a team that aims to build from the back – they will never break through your pressing game, just as we managed to navigate through their press as well.”