Liverpool’s build-up to the Premier League clash with Burnley has been hampered by the news that Curtis Jones will be unavailable due to injury.
Head coach Arne Slot confirmed the setback in his press conference, explaining that while most of his squad returned from international duty unscathed, Jones will not feature.
“We trained today with the majority of them for the first time,” Slot said. “The players who weren’t away had already been working with the U21s this week. Unfortunately, Curtis picked up an injury in his last match, so he won’t be involved against Burnley.”
The injury is a blow for the 24-year-old midfielder, who has been pushing for a regular starting role alongside Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister. With Wirtz recently added to inject more creativity into the side, Jones’ absence will put additional responsibility on the German playmaker.
Despite summer speculation linking Jones with a move away, Slot’s faith in him has kept him firmly in Liverpool’s plans.
The coach expressed relief that the international break caused minimal damage to his squad: “That’s not always the case, especially early in the season when players come from different conditions and then play two games in quick succession.”
In Jones’ absence, options such as Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch—praised by Slot for the way the Dutch national team has managed him—will be crucial against Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.
With the fixtures set to come thick and fast, losing Jones now is far from ideal. Sir Kenny Dalglish previously hailed him as one of last season’s unsung heroes, and Liverpool will be hoping the academy graduate makes a swift recovery to play another key role in Arne Slot’s debut campaign.
