Alisson, Salah & Jota: Liverpool injury news latest and return dates ahead of Luton Town clash

Liverpool may be the Premier League leaders, but that doesn’t mean that all is well at Anfield – a spate of injuries to key players has left the club reeling and made the coming games considerably more challenging, especially with the EFL Cup final against Chelsea just a few days away.

Diogo Jota, Salah, Darwin Núñez, Curtis Jones and Alisson are among the players stricken by fresh injury problems either before, during or after the 4-1 win over Brentford and many of them may miss the match against Luton Town on Wednesday, with Jota in particular likely to be out for some time.

To make matters worse, reports from Egypt have suggested that star forward Mohamed Salah has suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury that he sustained during the Africa Cup of Nations, and could be a doubt for the midweek match as well.

Those fresh issues only add to what has quickly become a very long list of problems facing Jürgen Klopp’s squad, with further concerns over Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold, among others. We’ve collated all of the latest injury news and estimated return dates for the afflicted members of the squad below as Liverpool enter a crucial period of the season.

Diogo Jota

The Portuguese forward was stretchered off against Brentford after landing awkwardly and it has since been revealed that he suffered a cruciate ligament injury – a cruel end to a fine run of form. The damage is, mercifully, not believed to be long-term, but he is still expected to miss at least two months of football, with mid-April the earliest likely return date. There is at least some chance that he does not feature again this season, with further tests required to be certain of the extent of the problem.

Mohamed Salah

Salah missed several matches after sustaining a hamstring strain during Egypt’s unsuccessful Africa Cup of Nations campaign, but returned to action against Brentford as Jota’s replacement, scoring Liverpool’s third goal. Unverified reports from Egyptian journalist Ahmed Shoubir, however, have suggested that he has suffered a recurrence of that injury and could miss Wednesday night’s game at Anfield. There has been no confirmation from the club or player as yet.

Curtis Jones

Jones was another player to pick up a knock at the Brentford Community Stadium, and was pictured leaving the ground on crutches after being forced off the field in the first half following an ankle injury. Klopp has since stated that he suffered a bone ligament injury but while a definitive timeline has not been set for his return, he said the club will review his condition in five to ten days before determining the severity of the injury. Jones will miss the game against Luton and almost certainly the EFL Cup final as well.

Darwin Núñez

The perennially frustrating Uruguayan was substituted at half-time against Brentford after scoring the Reds’ opening goal, but Klopp suggested that his withdrawal was precautionary, saying that he was taken off because he “felt something very little.” No further updates have been provided but it is widely expected that he should be fit to play at least some part at Anfield on Wednesday.

Alisson

The Brazilian goalkeeper missed the trip to Brentford with a hamstring issue that he picked up in training and has since been ruled out of both the Luton game and the EFL Cup final. Times journalist Paul Joyce has reported that Alisson could be out for around three weeks, claiming that he faces “a race against time” to be ready for the key clash with Manchester City on 10 March. Klopp, meanwhile, has simply said that he will not be back for a "foreseeable time."

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The wing-back is another player who missed out against Brentford after he aggravated the lateral knee ligament tear which he had sustained against Arsenal in the FA Cup third round while playing against Burnley. The club have not provided a precise timeframe for his return but he will miss at least two to three weeks of action, meaning he will not play against Luton or Chelsea. He should return some time in March.

Dominik Szoboszlai

The Hungarian playmaker has been exceptional since signing from RB Leipzig in the summer, but has been out of action since the 4-1 win over Chelsea in January thanks to a hamstring problem. Reports in Hungary suggest that he will miss three to four weeks in total, which would almost certainly rule him out of the next two matches at least.

Ben Doak

The talented young winger is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a torn lateral meniscus in his knee in December. The typical recovery period after such surgery is three to six months, meaning he is unlikely to return before the end of March and may not feature again this season.

Stefan Bajčetić

Having had a big impact in his breakthrough season last year, the teenage Spanish midfielder has endured a torrid second campaign and has yet to play thanks to a persistent calf problem. He has since been pictured in training gear as he continues his rehabilitation, but a comeback is not believed to be imminent. No return date has been set by the club.

Joël Matip

The veteran Cameroonian defender will not play again this season thanks to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament sustained in the 4-3 win over Fulham, and may have played his last game for Liverpool given that his contract is up at the end of the season.

Thiago Alcântra

The unfortunate Spaniard may not play against this season thanks to a second consecutive serious injury. Having missed nine months of football after surgery on a hip injury, he made a five-minute comeback against Arsenal before suffering a serious hamstring injury. Like Matip, his contract finishes at the end of the season, and there is real fear that his cameo against the Gunners will prove to be his farewell.