Liverpool injury update: Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Stefan Bajcetic latest news and return dates
Liverpool have been boosted on the injury front by the return of three key players.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai all made their returns off the bench in the FA Cup against Norwich on Sunday, providing a major boost to Jurgen Klopp ahead of key upcoming matches against Chelsea and Arsenal.
He will hope to be further strengthened in the weeks ahead, particularly ahead of the Carabao Cup final at the end of February, as Mohamed Salah continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Kostas Tsimikas is on the comeback trail too, while Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic look to put their injury nightmares behind them.
Here is your latest update of Liverpool injuries and return dates...
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah will not return to the Africa Cup of Nations, after Egypt suffered a last-16 defeat to DR Congo on Sunday night.
The forward had returned to Liverpool for treatment on a hamstring issue, with a view to flying back out to AFCON for the final had Egypt made it that far.
However, with his country knocked out of the tournament, Salah's full focus will now be on Liverpool and returning to action for the Reds as soon as possible.
It was expected that he would miss three to four weeks, after suffering the injury on January 18, meaning he should be back to fitness in time for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on February 25.
Potential return: February 17 vs Brentford
Alexis Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister was not involved in Liverpool's comfortable FA Cup win over Norwich.
Klopp confirmed after the match that it was more of a precautionary decision, with Mac Allister likely to be involved in midweek against Chelsea.
The Liverpool boss said: "Alexis, I would say [if it was the] last game of the season, decider or whatever, he could have played, but in all games not.
"He felt a little bit and we just said no, no and I don't want to know more, so that's just it. We gave him a rest. I think he should be ready for Wednesday."
Potential return: January 31 vs Chelsea
Kostas Tsimikas
While Liverpool now have Robertson back, Kostas Tsimikas remains unavailable after breaking his collarbone against Arsenal before Christmas.
Assistant boss Pep Lijnders confirmed last week that the left-back is expected to return to training in early February.
"Kostas is now four weeks after surgery, so he needs probably two more weeks because we need to make sure that the bone is strong and the bone is healed before he goes into first-team training," Lijnders said.
Potential return date: Late February 2024
Thiago Alcantara
It has been a hugely frustrating season for Thiago, who has entered the final six months of his Liverpool contract.
The midfielder has not made a single appearance for the club, after a number of setbacks in his recovery from a hip injury.
Lijnders confirmed earlier this month that Thiago is "progressing", but would likely not return to training in January.
Potential return date: Late February 2024
Stefan Bajcetic
Stefan Bajcetic's comeback from injury has also been a concern for Liverpool, though he has at least made a couple of appearances this season.
He is also in line to return to training next month, with Klopp revealing at the end of December that he is keen to be particularly careful with Bajcetic's fitness, even if it is frustrating for the teenager.
Klopp said: "It’s a growing issue, it’s not growing but because of his growth and this age, we just have to be careful.
“He could train today fully and tomorrow as well and then not for four or five weeks. It’s a medical decision, it’s not by the boy, it’s by me, it’s just that’s how you have to do it if something like this happens.
“That makes it so annoying for the boy.”
Potential return date: Late February 2024
Joel Matip
Joel Matip is out of contract in the summer and has potentially played his final game for the club, after undergoing successful surgery on the ACL injury he suffered last month.
No timeframe has been given for his return, but he faces a spell of several months on the sidelines and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Potential return date: Summer 2024
Ben Doak
Winger Ben Doak tore his lateral meniscus last month and required surgery on the injury.
Lijnders admitted the issue was "not a good one" and it remains to be seen whether the 18-year-old plays again this season.
Potential return date: Summer 2024
