Arne Slot confirms best possible news ahead of Manchester United clash

Going into the October international break, the conversation surrounding Liverpool felt pretty bleak, since three consecutive losses had been recorded after winning seven straight games.

The system needed work, a lot of the players were out of form and the fine margins that had been going the Reds' way had flipped to now go against us. Positivity was in desperately short supply.

However, the past two weeks have been promising. Arne Slot seems to have identified the problems that need to be addressed, and the players have performed really well for their international sides.

There was only one lingering concern ahead of the Reds' clash against Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday, and the Dutch head coach has just revealed in an update that our fears were premature.

Injury concerns dismissed

French centre-back Ibrahima Konate was taken off against Chelsea, in Liverpool's last fixture, with an injury and given how important he is to the side, fans were concerned that he'd be out for a while.

In not featuring at all for his national side, those worries were compounded when a report from L'Equipe confirmed that Konate would be returning to Liverpool following a 'thigh injury' problem.

Now, however, Slot has provided an update on his fitness and it's better news than most had hoped.

In his press conference, he said: "Ibou has come back to us, started the sessions again, and is expected to train with us today."

Of course, this does not necessarily mean that he'll be risked against United, but the option for him to play is there, so he's not set for a spell on the sidelines. Given we already have Giovanni Leoni out for the season with an ACL injury, it's pivotal that we keep all three remaining centre-backs fit.

It wasn't just Konate that was a concern, however, as Ryan Gravenberch was pulled at half-time in the Netherlands' match against Finland earlier this week, prompting questions over his fitness.

Although it appears as though Ronald Koeman's decision was simply an attempt to manage his minutes, ensuring he wasn't burnt out. As such, fears around him were wide of the mark.

On Friday morning, Slot confirmed: "Ryan is completely fit, although we still have to train twice. But if you ask me now, he is completely fit."

With both concerns addressed, Liverpool's squad could not be in better shape to face the club's fiercest rivals. Aside from Leoni, everyone's available. In addition, a lot of the players are in better form after featuring for their countries, so there are plenty of reasons to be feeling optimistic.

It's a remarkable turnaround to how most felt two weeks ago. Now the results need to follow suit.

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