Arne Slot provides major injury update on key Liverpool duo ahead of double-header against Real Madrid and Man City

Arne Slot has received a boost with captain Virgil van Dijk fit to face former club Southampton on Sunday and Trent Alexander-Arnold in contention for the key double-header against Manchester City and Real Madrid next week.

Liverpool’s run to the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables has been accompanied by a spate of injuries but Slot was able to deliver more positive news ahead on Friday.

Van Dijk missed the Netherlands game against Bosnia last week on ‘medical grounds’ while Alexander-Arnold withdrew from the England squad after coming off early in Liverpool’s last club game against Aston Villa holding his hamstring.

‘Virgil is all good training – completely OK. He is training with us,’ confirmed Slot.

‘Trent isn’t training with us yet but he is getting there and we expect him to be back soon.’

Liverpool meet Real Madrid on Wednesday and Manchester City the following Sunday with Alisson (hamstring) and Diogo Jota (collision) also making progress having been absent since October.

Slot added about players’ availability: ‘For next week we will have to wait and see because the last week of recovery is always tricky, going from isolated training to group sessions.

‘It is difficult to judge so I can not say if it will one or two or three days. Alisson and Jota I don’t expect them to be fit for that game [Real], Trent we will see. He is in between.’

Goalkeeper Alisson has been doing exercises with the goalkeeping coach having not played since October 5. Jota was injured against Chelsea later that month but both of them plus injured pair Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa are making good progress and could be involved before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Slot has welcomed Pep Guardiola’s decision to stay at Manchester City saying it’s good for the whole Premier League.

Slot revealed that captain Virgil van Dijk will be fit to face Southampton on Saturday

Trent Alexander-Arnold is in contention to feature against Real Madrid and Manchester City

Slot believes that Pep Guardiola’s decision to stay at City will benefit the league

The Liverpool boss, who faces Guardiola in a key title clash next weekend, is glad the City manager has committed to staying at the Etihad until 2027 even though it could make Liverpool’s task of winning trophies even harder.

‘That is good news for City and for the league because everybody wants to have the best manager and players over here and he is one of the best, and maybe the best in the league,’ said Slot.

‘When you look at what he did, it is fair to say the is the best manager in the league. On the other hand City have so many quality players if he had decided to leave, I wouldn’t expect them to be bottom!

‘It is going to be interesting for us managers to continue facing one of the best we’ve ever had.’