Liverpool have received a boost with Curtis Jones poised to return for the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday night.
The England international was an unused substitute during Liverpool’s unexpected FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle on Sunday, following his recent recovery from a knee injury.
Reds manager Arne Slot revealed that he had planned to start Curtis Jones against the Pilgrims, but the 24-year-old pulled out of the lineup on the morning of the match.
This came as something of a surprise, given Jones’ notable contributions as a substitute in Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Bournemouth earlier this month, followed by a solid 72-minute performance in the team’s dominant 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last week.
Despite not featuring against Plymouth, Slot has played down concerns regarding Jones’ fitness.
The midfielder had missed recent matches against Ipswich Town and PSV Eindhoven after being substituted at halftime during Liverpool’s clash with Lille last month.
“Yeah, (he will be available on Wednesday),” Slot confirmed.
“He was out for 10, 12 days and he played a game at home against Tottenham. His recovery took a bit longer than expected.”
“They called it a…they had some strong words so I assume the English media said similar things.
“I can only agree with that. I had the same emotions. It was a very, very disappointing result.”
He shared his intentions regarding selection: “Maybe not the emotion because the players that were on the pitch will be – maybe one or two of them – but the rest will not start.
“I don’t think the ones who stayed behind have the same emotions of the ones that lost.
“Although of course the ones that stayed behind were very disappointed as well because we are here to compete for every trophy.
“Now one of them is gone so everybody was disappointed.”
Read more: Arne Slot speaks to Liverpool coach John Heitinga ahead of first Merseyside derby
David Moyes admits it’s “hard” to see Arne Slot performing well at Liverpool
Manchester United enter race for Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen
