Arne Slot says Liverpool player has an injury problem and will miss training ahead of Man United clash

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Liverpool are set to face Manchester United on Sunday in what is one of the Premier League’s heavyweight clashes.

The Reds have a good recent record against their arch-rivals, although did suffer two big blows at Old Trafford last season.

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has admitted that those two results still upset him, as they served to knock the Reds out of the FA Cup and seriously damage their title charge.

Things are different this year, though. Arne Slot has taken over from Jurgen Klopp and will head into the game having won two Premier League games out of two.

One hallmark of Liverpool’s early season form is that they have managed very well with injuries so far. But speaking to the press ahead of Sunday’s big game, Slot admitted that there is one fitness issue within the Liverpool squad.

Curtis Jones set to miss Man United match

One of the biggest criticisms of Klopp’s time at Liverpool was that his teams picked up far too many injuries far too often.

With a new head of conditioning on the Liverpool coaching staff this season, that can hopefully start to change.

Pre-season and the early part of the campaign have given some evidence that things could be looking up.

The only player to pick up a knock during the summer friendlies was Curtis Jones. And, having subsequently gotten himself fit, Jones is once again the only one now missing.

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The 23-year-old was on the bench for the season opener against Ipswich, but missed last weekend’s win over Brentford.

And when asked about the state of his squad’s fitness ahead of facing Man United, Slot confirmed that Jones is still out with injury.

“At the moment there are not any other injuries except for Curtis Jones and he will not train with us today,” says the head coach. “The rest will train with us today.”

Will Federico Chiesa play against Man United?

So, Jones is set to miss the game against United. But that should not be too much of a problem for Slot.

With the rest of his players available, Liverpool will still be able to put out an incredibly strong looking team.

The other big question lingering over Sunday’s game is whether new signing Federico Chiesa will be ready to make his Reds debut.

Chiesa declared himself fit and available upon signing on Thursday. Sunday’s game would be a heck of a match for the Italian to feature in.

But Slot has said that it is unlikely Chiesa will be in the matchday squad to face United. His first game in red will have to wait.