Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo faces an extended absence after sustaining a serious foot injury during Wednesday’s Premier League victory at Sunderland, deepening a squad crisis that has left the club navigating one of the most testing periods of its season.
Endo, 32, was stretchered off at the Stadium of Light during the first-team starter’s first league appearance of the season, having been drafted into an emergency right-back role following a cascade of injuries and suspensions in that position. Speaking at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre on Friday, Slot did not disguise his concern. “A foot injury. We still need to do some assessments but it’s clear and obvious that he will be out for quite a long time,” the Dutch coach said.
Endo’s determination to remain on the pitch despite the obvious severity of his injury drew praise from his manager. Despite the distress, the Japan captain stayed on to defend a late Sunderland corner before eventually being replaced by Joe Gomez. “What mentality from him, he stayed on the pitch when things don’t look good. That tells you the mentality the team and him showed today,” Slot said immediately after the match.
The setback adds to a mounting injury list that already includes defenders Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, and Jeremie Frimpong, with Bradley now confirmed as absent for the remainder of the season. Striker Alexander Isak also remains sidelined following a broken leg sustained against Tottenham Hotspur, though he has recently been spotted watching sessions from the Anfield sidelines, offering a cautious sign of progress in his rehabilitation.
The injuries have created a persistent problem at right-back that has forced Slot into increasingly uncomfortable solutions. Bradley, Frimpong, Leoni, and now Endo have all suffered setbacks in or around that position this season, leaving the manager with a threadbare selection of options. “You can hardly believe what this right-full back position brings us this season,” Slot said after the Sunderland match.
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Joe Gomez, himself only recently returned from a hip problem that kept him out of three matches, is now likely to fill in against Brighton on Saturday, though his readiness to start has not been confirmed. Dominik Szoboszlai returns to availability after serving a one-match suspension against Sunderland, though he may be required to operate at right-back depending on Gomez’s condition.
Slot told reporters Friday that the club was managing every session carefully to avoid further breakdowns during a punishing schedule that includes three matches in seven days. “We are also aware of the limited options, so the load management is important, the last thing we need is another injury, so that is always the tough thing for a manager, to make the best decision every time. It wouldn’t be the first time a player gets injured if they have to play three in seven days.”
He outlined three concurrent objectives pulling on his squad’s resources. “We have three clear priorities: FA Cup, Champions League qualification and Champions League,” Slot said. With the Premier League title effectively beyond reach at 13 points behind leaders Arsenal, the FA Cup represents the club’s only remaining chance at domestic silverware this season.
The Brighton fixture, scheduled for Saturday evening at Anfield, presents a genuine challenge despite the hosts’ home advantage. Slot offered a frank assessment of the visitors’ qualities. “They don’t deserve the position they are in; they play so much better than the table shows and they deserve more than they get, so it is another challenge,” he said, adding that the selection demands had kept him awake the previous night. “It took me a long time before I could fall asleep because I was constantly thinking of the same options.”
The injury crisis may accelerate the involvement of academy prospects. Slot said teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni were approaching the threshold of first-team involvement and that Saturday’s cup tie could offer a suitable opportunity.
“I am always looking at the younger players, a few of them are closer and closer to first-team football. Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni have had that and games like this could be an option, but it is about the right balance. We play a strong team and who to play is something to think about,” the manager said.
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The timing of Endo’s injury also carries implications beyond club football. As captain of Japan, he faces a race against time to be fit for the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. His injury history this season, which already included a six-week absence earlier in the campaign, raises further questions about his long-term prospects at Liverpool ahead of the summer transfer window.
Liverpool have lost only two of their last 18 games across all competitions and are seeking consecutive clean sheets for the first time since December. Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header at Sunderland earned three points against the only Premier League side yet to lose at home this season, a result that kept Liverpool’s Champions League qualification hopes intact.
Liverpool currently sit sixth in the Premier League table with 42 points from 26 matches and have secured a direct berth in the Champions League knockout playoff round by finishing inside the top eight in the revamped league phase format.