Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that defender Joe Gomez is not close to a return from injury ahead of the Reds' Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side have been the biggest surprise package in the Premier League this season and are currently sat in third place in the league standings after 20 games.
The Tricky Trees were also the only team in the top flight to beat Slot's side in the first half of the season, securing an against-the-odds 1-0 victory at Anfield back in September.
Gomez sustained a hamstring injury in the Reds' 5-0 victory over West Ham United last month and was initially expected to be sidelined for "a few weeks."
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Gomez ruled out for trip to City Ground
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot confirmed that Gomez is not yet close to a return from injury for Liverpool, saying: "Quite far away. He will definitely not be training with the team yet."
Fortunately for the Reds, his absence aligned with Ibrahima Konate's return from a knee injury, while Wataru Endo has emerged as an emergency option at centre-back.
Slot went on to confirm there are no new injury concerns ahead of the trip to Nottinghamshire on Tuesday night, with the suspended Darwin Nunez being the only other player unavailable.
The Uruguayan was shown his fifth yellow card of the season against Manchester United on January 5 and is expected to be replaced by Diogo Jota, who is reportedly back to full fitness after a period of managing his minutes.
Dominik Szoboszlai made his return from illness by playing in the first half on Saturday in the FA Cup, and Slot revealed after the match that his substitution at half-time was pre-planned.
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Liverpool plot defensive reinforcements ahead of transfer deadline
Given the injury setbacks Liverpool have faced this season, along with the potential departure of Virgil van Dijk at the end of the term, reports suggest that the Reds are eyeing up defensive reinforcements for next season.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the Premier League leaders are set to rival Newcastle United for the signature of Sevilla defender Loic Bade.
The Frenchman is believed to be on the radar of several clubs across Europe and could be available for around £21m in the ongoing transfer window.
It is understood that Sevilla are facing a potential £65m loss in the last year and may be forced to sell existing players in order to comply with La Liga's financial regulations.
The 24-year-old turned down moves to Roma and Stuttgart last season to remain in Spain and signed a contract extension that included a £50m buy-out clause.
Devesh Jaganath
