Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz: Liverpool injury update and return dates ahead of Man City

Latest on Liverpool injuries including Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Thiago Alcantara and Calvin Ramsay ahead of Premier League clash with Manchester City

Liverpool still have a number of injury and fitness issues as the international break draws to a close.

The Reds haven’t played a game for almost two weeks, their last game being a defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Next up is a Premier League return to Manchester City on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp hopes some of his injured players will recover in time to join the trip to the Etihad Stadium. These include stars like Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Thiago Alcantara, while there are still uncertainties over Cody Gakpo following his illness. Here are the latest on Liverpool’s injured players, including possible return dates.

Darwin Nunez

Darwin Nunez suffered a broken ankle in Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid earlier this month.

As a result, the striker was withdrawn from Uruguay’s squad for the international matches against Japan and South Korea.

Nunez will report for training in Merseyside later this week, and from there he will be assessed by Liverpool’s medical department.

It is too early at this stage to judge whether Nunez will be fit to face Man City, but Liverpool are hoping he is available for the trip to the Etihad. Expected return date: early April

Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz has been out with a knee injury since the beginning of October and has yet to return to first-team training.

The Colombian international was expected to return in December but he suffered a setback that led to surgery and extended his time on the sidelines.

Diaz is now ready to return to action and Liverpool are hoping to have the striker back in training in the days leading up to the Manchester City trip, but a start at the Etihad would be unlikely given his extended spell on the sideline.

Expected return date: Manchester City (A) – 1st April

Cody Gakpo

Cody Gakpo was initially withdrawn from the Dutch squad for Euro 2024 qualifying due to illness.

Lui missed out on the 4-0 defeat against France, but it was later confirmed that he was back in the squad for the match against Gibraltar. Koeman admitted he’s not sure if he’s available for Monday night’s game.

Gakpo will return to Merseyside this week and from there the Liverpool medical team will deliver a verdict on his availability for Saturday’s match against Manchester City.

Expected return date: Man City (A) – 1st April

Thiago Alcantara

Thiago Alcantara has been sidelined since the beginning of February with a hip flexor injury.

The Spaniard was yet to return to training for the Liverpool first team before the international break and there is still uncertainty as to when he will be able to return.

Being available for Man City’s trip seems unlikely, so Liverpool are hoping he can return later in April with matches against Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham in sight. Estimated return date: early/mid-April

Calvin Ramsey

Calvin Ramsay injured his knee earlier this year and will spend the rest of the season on the sidelines.

Ramsay has made just two appearances for the first team in his first season at Anfield since arriving from Aberdeen last summer.

Liverpool are hoping for a patient recovery for the right-back hoping he returns in time for pre-season training in July.

Estimated return date: pre-season in July

Also…

Steven Gerrard says he knows what Harry Kane thinks of a transfer, given the comparisons made with Liverpool

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has his say on the future of Tottenham Hotspur and England star Harry Kane

Steven Gerrard believes Harry Kane’s dilemma over whether or not to leave Tottenham Hotspur is “different” from the decision he once made during his Liverpool career.

Kane became England’s all-time top scorer after scoring in a Euro qualifying match in Italy on Thursday, a feat that came just a month after surpassing Jimmy Greaves’ record of 266 goals for Tottenham.

Impressing for club and country has never been an issue for the prolific striker, although there are still doubts about his trophy. Kane, who turns 30 in July, is yet to win a major trophy and many believe he will only change if he gets a transfer from Tottenham Hotspur. He has been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, having previously come under fire from rivals Manchester City. Facing a similar situation during the early stages of his career at Liverpool when Chelsea visited in 2004, Gerrard acknowledged the difficult position Kane is in, but believes the England international does not face the same concerns morals.

“Listen, I don’t want to open a can of worms,” ​​the Reds legend told Channel 4 after watching Kane score in England’s 2-0 win against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.

“He has a big decision to make in his career. Have I been there where you think, ‘Is my team good enough for me to win medals’? Am I going to get what I want out of my career? For me it’s different because I grew up as a Liverpool fan in the city, my whole family were Liverpool fans and I knew that winning one more trophy with Liverpool would mean so much more to me than being anywhere else.”

“He’s not from Tottenham, he hasn’t always been around Tottenham,” continued Gerrard, referring to the forward’s rise to Arsenal’s academy and four loan spells away from Spurs. “He has a big decision to make. I can’t advise him on that, but I bet he will think about it every day of his life.

“The most important thing is that he stays focused and it shows in his performances of him. He seems to have nothing on his mind.” He’s really focused and local, which is why we admire him.”