"Not good news" - Jurgen Klopp confirms 2 key Liverpool stars will miss FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed the Reds will be without the services of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold for their FA Cup quarter-final clash against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The Merseyside club travel to the City Ground on the back of a crucial 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday. As such, Liverpool will remain confident about their chances of winning the tie and booking their berth for the semi-finals at Wembley.
However, Forest are also on a good run of form, having won all of their last three matches across competitions. The run started with their 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup, which was followed by a 4-0 and 3-1 win over Reading and QPR, respectively in the Championship.
"I know Nottingham only from when I was a kid watching Robin Hood!" 🏹
Jurgen Klopp discusses Liverpool's upcoming FA Cup quarter-final against Nottingham Forest 🌳 https://t.co/NTM0w5Y41A
With injuries to Salah and Alexander-Arnold, Forest will be relieved by the fact that they don't need to cope with the threat on offer from the Liverpool duo. Speaking about the injuries, Klopp told reporters at the pre-match press conference:
"Trent is out with a hamstirng, so will be out for England too. Not good news, we will see how long it takes. Mo felt his foot a little bit after the game too."
Despite the unavailability of two of his crucial players, Klopp remained optimistic about Liverpool coping up with the situation. He added:
"We will see how it will take. To replace him is difficult but possible. We have Milner, Gomez, these kind of things. Trent is so influential but Milner has done incredibly well in the past. We'll see how Milly is for Sunday. Maybe a young solution?"
Liverpool move to within a single point of Manchester City
The Reds' win over Arsenal ensured they cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to just a single point. Earlier, Pep Guardiola's reigning champions had dropped crucial points against Crystal Palace, providing their rivals with the perfect chance to capitalize.
Boss. ❤ https://t.co/iFT0ipjBrW
The visitors ran out 2-0 winners at the Emirates courtesy of second-half goals from Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota. Following the win, it has been confirmed that Liverpool will lift the league title if they end up winning all their remaining games.
Klopp and company travel to the Etihad Stadium on April 10 to face Manchester City in what could be the most decisive game of their league campaign.