Salah and Nunez were among those to miss Sunday’s final (Picture: Getty)
Ryan Gravenberch’s ligament injury is not as bad as first feared with Jurgen Klopp hopeful Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai are closing in on their returns.
Gravenberch was stretchered off during the first-half of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea after a wild and dangerous challenge from Moises Caicedo.
The Netherlands international was later seen celebrating with his teammates on crutches wearing a protective boot.
While Klopp expects him to miss Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth round clash against Southampton and the league trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, he said the ligament injury his midfielder suffered could have been ‘much worse’.
‘What I do know is Ryan is not available,’ Klopp told a press conference. ‘It is a ligament injury, it could have been much worse but is bad enough he is ruled out for this game and the next game. But we will see.’
Liverpool were without a number of first-team stars for Sunday’s final with goalkeeper Alisson Becker Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold still facing spell on the sidelines.
Salah and Nunez also missed the trip to Wembley along with midfielder Szoboszlai.
Gravenberch could be back next week (Picture: Getty)
With Wataru Endo also picking up a knock at the weekend, Klopp admitted he and his staff ‘need miracles’, rating the prospect of Salah and Nunez returning this week as ‘touch and go’.
‘We need miracles with a few players so that’s why I don’t want to rule them out for too long,’ Klopp continued.
‘But it is touch and go still with a lot of players, the players who were not available for the final.
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‘Darwin, Mo, we have to see what they can do today. Endo got a proper knock as well, so we have to see. I wouldn’t say its much improved but that is how it is.’
After recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the Africa Cup of Nations, Salah played the second-half of the 4-1 win over Brentford but has sat out of Liverpool’s last two games.
Nunez was forced off at half-time in that win in west London, also missing the 4-1 win over Luton and Sunday’s final.