Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed that defender Joe Gomez is not close to returning from a hamstring injury injury.
Gómez limped out 5-0 win at West Ham United on December 29 and was initially expected to miss “a few weeks”, prompting questions about a possible return for Tuesday’s meeting with surprise package Nottingham Forest.
Asked how far Gómez is from a comeback, a disappointed Slot confirmed: “Very far. He’s definitely not with the team yet and Darwin (Núñez) is suspended. Those are the ones we’ll miss tomorrow.”
Forest are the only team to beat Liverpool so far in the Premier League this season, and Slot vowed not to take Nuno Espirito Santo’s side lightly in his quest for revenge.
“They showed in hindsight what a good team they are,” Slot reflected on the loss. “Usually when Liverpool lose a home game… at that time Virgil (van Dijk) played 100 home games and lost only once.
“For me, losing that day was hard to take. Looking back and where they are in the league, maybe it’s not that big. They had a good game plan and they brought the winger who did a lot well..
“I’ve always said you can judge the table better mid-season and that time is here. If Forest are up there with us, with arsenal, Chelsea(Manchester) City and everyone else, then they are definitely a team that competes with us and the other teams.
“They deserve to be treated like that if you look at the way they play, if you look at their performances and results. It will be a very difficult challenge tomorrow to get a result.”
