Liverpool Injury List & Return Dates: Endō Blow Deepens Defensive Crisis

The Liverpool injury list and return dates are growing longer following the win at Sunderland. The injury bug has bitten particularly hard at the Right Back position. You can see the full injury list below, but how did we reach this point in the season, where the Reds have used six different players at Right Back and are currently in a full defensive crisis?

The Injury Breakdown

Liverpool manager Arne Slot would agree, especially concerning the injury situation at Right Back. The Reds were already in crisis at that spot, as Conor Bradley is out for the season, and Jeremie Frimpong is still out for weeks. 

Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai was doing an admirable job in that spot, playing out of position, but due to a controversial Red Card vs Man City, seldom-used defender Wataru Endo was forced into action at Sunderland.

That’s when Liverpool’s luck went from bad to worse against the Black Cats. Endo got his boot caught on the soggy pitch and suffered what Slot later called a “serious injury” to his lower leg and is expected to miss considerable time. Even the normally stoic Slot voiced his frustration at the mounting crisis.

"I assume he will be out for a long, long time,” Slot said. “What is long, it is difficult to say at this moment, but you can hardly believe what this right full-back position brings us this season." 

Affect On The Club

Slot has identified an injury crisis at Right Back, saying that the Reds have used six players in that spot in all competitions. That has directly contributed to Liverpool’s inconsistencies. The recent loss to Man City is a perfect example.

Remember, Szboszlai was playing out of position. A more experienced right back, such as Bradley or Gomez, would have allowed Silva to drift offside, and the equaliser would have been chalked off. Even if Haaland still scores the late penalty, the match ends in a 1-1 draw, and Liverpool pick up a vital point.

Much of the narrative and criticism around the club this season has centred on the Reds’ inconsistencies. Slot says those criticisms are valid, but many of those inconsistencies can be attributed to injuries.

Consider that Liverpool began the season at a torrid pace. The Reds won their first 5 matches in all competitions to start the season and were sitting at the top of the EPL. The defending champions looked poised for a repeat.

Then the injuries came, and with them a string of losses or other poor results. At one point, Liverpool had dropped all the way to 11th on the table. They have battled back to 6th and currently only sit three points out of a Top-4 spot. That is well off the pace of being EPL title chasers again this season, and supporters are understandably frustrated.

While injuries are far from the only reason, the Reds have struggled this season, and they have certainly played a big part.

What’s Next?

While it is not definitively known how severe Endo’s injury is, the last time Slot told the media that injuries were serious, he was referring to Alexander Isak’s broken leg or Conor Bradley’s torn ACL. Supporters should prepare for the worst when the news does come. 

If Endo is out for a long time or even misses the rest of the season, what do the Reds do? The transfer window is closed, so it is too late to sign another player. The best option is to let Gomez play right back and move Szoboslai to play in a more advanced role. 

With Gomez’s injury history, it is conceivable that Szoboszlai could see some more time at Right Back or even a young Calvin Ramsay in the FA Cup.

Can Liverpool Salvage The Season?

Yes, absolutely, but Arne Slot has said it will take near perfection to qualify for the Champions League. He has said that it is the expectation for a club like Liverpool, and rightly so. The Reds got off to a good start in reaching that goal by becoming the first EPL team to defeat Sunderland at home this season.

If the club can move up the table to the fourth spot and make a deep run in the Champions League knockout stages, some fans will still be unhappy, but it will still be judged as a good season in the long term.

Fans quickly forget that Slot and Liverpool won the EPL last season, so what changed? Slot didn’t suddenly become a bad coach and forget how to manage a club. It comes down to injuries. Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are finding chemistry on the pitch.

The  Club’s top brass support Slot, and he has done a great job with limited options, piecing together a competitive Starting XI. I know fans are in panic mode now, but if we can get some players healthy again, good times will once again be had on Merseyside, now and in the future.

With the defence down to bare bones, does Arne Slot need to change the formation? Tell us your emergency solution below.