Jeremie Frimpong to Miss Matches Due to Hamstring Injury
New Liverpool right-back Jeremie Frimpong has been sidelined until after the international break due to a hamstring injury.
The 24-year-old was substituted during his Premier League debut as Liverpool secured a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth last week.
Frimpong will miss upcoming league matches against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Monday, as well as the fixture against Arsenal at Anfield the following Sunday.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot revealed that medical staff advised his decision to substitute Frimpong, noting that the Netherlands international appeared to be struggling.
"I think I got criticized for taking him off, didn’t I?" Slot quipped during his pre-match news conference on Thursday. "It had nothing to do with his performance; we felt he had a hamstring issue, and that was a call made by the medical team. It was the right decision to take him off. We expect to have him back after the international break."
The first international break of the season is scheduled from September 1 to 9, with the Premier League resuming on the weekend of September 13-14, when Liverpool will face Burnley at Turf Moor on the Sunday.
Frimpong's injury leaves Coach Slot with limited options at right-back. The player was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5 million in May to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed for Real Madrid.
Northern Ireland defender Conor Bradley returned to first-team training on Thursday, while Slot mentioned that Joe Gomez, who has experienced significant injury setbacks in the past, was unable to train consistently after stepping in for striker Hugo Ekitike late in the match against Bournemouth.
"Jeremie [Frimpong] has a very positive injury record. Conor [Bradley] has been out a couple of times last season. Injuries happen," Slot commented. "Currently, we have two injuries, but unfortunately both are in the same position. The good news is we have other players capable of filling in. Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai have both played there before. Joe Gomez is also a possibility, but having him play 20 minutes already is quite a lot. He is training with the team, so we will see if he can be involved on Monday. It’s challenging to prepare for two injuries in the same position."