Arne Slot has revealed that Curtis Jones is racing against time to be fit for Liverpool’s upcoming visit to Manchester United on Sunday.
Jones, who was an unused substitute during Liverpool’s opening day victory at Ipswich Town, picked up a minor muscle injury in training last week.
The setback kept him sidelined for Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford at Anfield.
Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford next Sunday, hoping to maintain their 100% start to the season in a highly anticipated North West derby.
However, Slot has admitted that Jones could miss the crucial fixture.
“It’s going to be close,” said the Liverpool boss.
“It’s always difficult to see how an injury evolves during the upcoming week.
“He won’t be out for a long time but it will be close for him to be here next week.
“But I’m quite sure he will try to do everything to be ready for next week. It’s not a big injury.”
Wataru Endo made his first appearance of the season from the bench during the closing moments of the match against Brentford, having dropped down the midfield pecking order during pre-season under Slot.
Liverpool, however, turned down a bid from Marseille for the Japan international last month, with the Reds’ boss believing that the midfielder will be needed throughout the season.
Addressing Endo’s limited playing time in recent weeks, A rne Slot explained: “It’s not always about the player himself but the competition he faces.
“We have many good midfielders and are really pleased with how Wata is training for us but he has some good competition, and I think you saw today a good performance from all three midfielders.
“It’s not always about him, it’s also about the others.
“But he will be important for us during the season as we need all of them.
“We all know how long as season can be over here and how many players we need.”
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