🔴 Confirmed Absentees / Injuries

• Joe Gomez – Ruled out of the Tottenham clash with a hamstring muscle injury suffered against Brighton; scans show it’s not too serious but Liverpool are being cautious.

• Mohamed Salah – Unavailable — the forward has left to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and will miss the Spurs game.

• Cody Gakpo – Still out with a muscle problem and expected to miss several weeks.

• Wataru Endo – Sidelined with an ankle injury since early December; still weeks away from a return.

• Giovanni Leoni – Long-term ACL injury, out for the season.

🤕 Doubtful / Late Fitness Tests

• Dominik Szoboszlai – Picked up an ankle knock vs Brighton and is a doubt for Spurs; Liverpool are cautiously optimistic and a final decision is expected close to kick-off. Some updates suggest he could be available.

• Jeremie Frimpong – Nearing a return from a hamstring issue; could be back in training soon and might make the squad.

🔄 Suspension / Availability Notes

• Conor Bradley – Returns from suspension and should be available to start in defense.

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🧠 Impact on Liverpool

Liverpool’s defensive depth is stretched without Gomez, meaning Bradley is likely to start, with Frimpong pushing to return.

Salah’s AFCON departure means Liverpool will lean more on players like Hugo Ekitike, Federico Chiesa, and others in attack.

Szoboszlai’s fitness will be key to midfield creativity; his status might be decided late Friday.

If you’d like, I can also share Tottenham’s injury situation ahead of this match.

Arsenal in talks to sign £65m star but Chelsea also well positioned to seal deal

Arsenal is in negotiations to acquire a £65m star, but Chelsea is also in a strong position to finalize the

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea and Arsenal are competing for the signing of Juventus’ versatile forward, Kenan Yildiz.

Since his transfer to Turin on a free from Bayern Munich in 2022, Yildiz has been earning relatively low wages compared to many of his teammates, even though he has become one of Juventus’ key match-winners since last season.

He made his debut as a substitute on 20 August 2023 during the 3–0 victory against Udinese at the Stadio Friuli, and he scored on his first start on 23 December, netting the opener in the Bianconeri’s 2–1 win over Frosinone.

Since then, Yildiz has not only established a prominent role in the team but has also emerged as one of Europe’s most promising young forwards, a fact highlighted by his inclusion on the shortlist for the 2025 Golden Boy Award.

His upward trend has persisted this season, with the teenager netting six goals and providing six assists in 21 matches across all competitions for the Bianconeri, which has naturally drawn the attention of top clubs across Europe.

In the Premier League, CaughtOffside indicates that Chelsea and Arsenal are at the forefront of the pursuit for Yildiz, whose contract negotiations with Juventus are currently stalled.

For Chelsea, the report states that the Club World Cup champions are still interested in the 20-year-old after their £61m bid was turned down last summer.

Enzo Maresca’s team sees the versatile forward as a suitable candidate for their youth-focused, long-term investment strategy and believes they are in a favorable position to secure his transfer due to their strong ties with his agent, Jorge Mendes.

Conversely, Arsenal remains ‘firmly in contention’ for the young talent and is ready to take action, having been in direct communication with the player’s agent, highlighting his technical skills as an excellent match for Mikel Arteta’s system.

It has been an incredibly frustrating season so far with the Reds currently sitting 7th in the Premier League table.

Arne Slot’s hand has been forced further by a few injury concerns. Summer signing Giovanni Leoni suffered an ACL injury on his Liverpool debut back in September and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Joe Gomez also picked up an injury in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton at Anfield on Saturday. That leaves Slot with just two centre-back options in Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

At right-back, both Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley have struggled for fitness so far this season.

That has left many expecting the Reds to look for further defensive reinforcements when the window opens two weeks time.

Whilst names like Marc Guehi and Nico Schlotterbeck have been heavily mentioned, Anfield Index sources have revealed another potential target.

Liverpool Considering Mingueza

We understand that Liverpool are big fans of Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza. The 26-year-old defender’s current contract is set to expire in the summer.

Interestingly, that leaves two options for the Reds. The first being able to land him for a cut-price in January or they could even agree a pre-contract deal that would see him arrive on Merseyside in the summer.

Whilst he is mostly deployed as a right-back, the Barcelona academy graduate can also provide cover at centre-back and left-back.

Why are Liverpool Interested?

In terms of profile, Mingueza is very good on the ball and is a brilliantly progressive passer, which is something that Liverpool have really struggled with this season.

His versatility not only provides cover in numerous positions, but he could also offer support in a potential change of system should Slot want to try a back three.

A number of Premier League clubs are interested in the Spanish international and he could definitely be one to keep an eye on.

As it stands, a summer move remains more likely but don’t rule out a potential January swoop depending on the Reds’ situation. (Source: Anfield Index)

Oscar mingueza to Liverpool fingers crossed 🤞

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