While Liverpool take a backseat in Blank Gameweek 29, their elimination from the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday could have longer-term implications in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
Picking the bones out of the midweek drama at Anfield, it’s our latest Scout Notes.
ALEXANDER-ARNOLD + KONATE INJURY NEWS
The first question is: how bad is Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s (£7.5m) injury?
FPL’s most expensive defender picked up an issue during the second half of the loss to Paris Saint-Germain, his right leg sticking in the turf awkwardly as he made a touchline challenge.
It’s still not 100% clear what the problem is. Despite initially looking like a knee concern, reports now suggest it is an ankle injury.
Arne Slot expected the defender to miss Sunday’s EFL Cup final, something the Mail backed up on Wednesday.
“With Trent, he had to come off. That’s never a good sign. And from what I heard from people that saw the images or how he got injured, that didn’t look very good. So I would be surprised if he is available for Sunday.” – Arne Slot on Trent Alexander-Arnold
The potentially good thing for FPL managers looking to keep hold of Alexander-Arnold is that there are three weeks before Liverpool’s next league game.
If it’s at the minor end of the scale when it comes to recovery timelines, he may even be back for Gameweek 30. But with aforementioned articles saying “it is hoped that he will play again for the Reds before the end of the campaign”, you’d have to question that.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had to come off in Liverpool’s clash vs. PSG in the second half with an ankle injury.
Forced eversion at the ankle after a tackle brings concern for a high ankle sprain/syndesmosis injury. The other possibility would be an axial loading foot/ankle injury,… pic.twitter.com/SrXEriNajg
— Physio Scout | Football Injury Analysis (@physioscout) March 11, 2025
Slot will hopefully give us an update on Alexander-Arnold’s condition later in the week when he faces the media before the trip to Wembley.
Ibrahima Konate (£5.2m), who limped off in extra-time against PSG, seems like less of an injury concern.
“I have to ask but for me Ibou was more that he was tired than it was an injury.” – Arne Slot
GAKPO RETURNS
One bit of positive news on the fitness front was the return of Cody Gakpo (£7.4m) after two games out.
The Dutchman came on as a 102nd-minute substitute and replaced Luis Diaz (£7.5m).
With Diogo Jota (£7.2m) again off it up top, you wouldn’t be surprised to see Slot revert to the Diaz, Gakpo and Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) front three going forward.
After the rare high of a double-digit haul in Gameweek 28, Darwin Nunez (£7.0m) was back on the bench – as expected – on Tuesday. The Uruguayan came on as a substitute and was one of two Liverpool players to miss from the spot in the shootout.
With Gakpo back and Jota available, there’s every chance Nunez may not start again in 2024/25.
CONCENTRATE ON THE LEAGUE…
Once Sunday’s EFL Cup final is out of the way, it’s Premier League all the way for Liverpool.
Not just out of the Champions League, they’re also eliminated from the FA Cup.
There’s still the question of what Arne Slot does with his starting XI when the title is in the bag, which will surely happen a lot earlier than Gameweek 38. Does the Liverpool boss reward the likes of Harvey Elliott (£5.2m) with game-time, for instance, when there’s little resting on the result?
But in the meantime, it does lessen the risk of minute management/rotation in some areas. Had they progressed in Europe, the Reds would have had Champions League ties after Gameweeks 31, 32, 34 and 35.
A COMPELLING TIE
After PSG dominated in the first leg and somehow lost, this time it was the turn of Liverpool to scratch their heads after drawing a blank at home.
Salah – again not quite at his best – saw an early goalbound shot blocked with Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten, while the Italian goalkeeper also clawed out a Diaz header from a corner. Another set piece was headed against the post by Alexander-Arnold’s replacement, Jarell Quansah (£3.9m).
The difference over the two legs was that, while Liverpool barely had a shot in France, PSG had 21 of them on Tuesday. Ousmane Dembele pounced on a loose ball to draw the tie level, later seeing a shot brilliantly palmed away by Alisson (£5.6m).
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue both shot agonisingly wide, while Bradley Barcola spurned a one-on-one chance.
It was a compelling tie featuring two teams who are performing much better than expected despite being in transition (Liverpool post-Klopp, PSG post-Galacticos) in 2024/25. And PSG probably deservedly edged it.
“Both of the teams deserve to go to the next phase. They played better than us here, but I think my team at Anfield, in a special stadium, showed great personality and character. We tried to play our best, but it was difficult as they’re so intense.” – Luis Enrique
“It was the best game of football I was ever involved in. I don’t have the history like Liverpool as a manager, but [it was] two teams of an incredible level [at] an incredible intensity.
“This was unbelievable what we showed in the first 25 [minutes]. I looked at the scoreboard and we were 1-0 down. Over 90 minutes I don’t think we deserved to lose this game of football today. Over 180 minutes, maybe it was deserved that we went to overtime. In overtime I thought Paris Saint-Germain was a bit better than us in this half-hour and then it comes down to penalties and they scored four, us one and we lost.” – Arne Slot
FPL managers will have long forgotten the midweek European action come Gameweek 30. Owners of Salah and co will be hoping the disappointment is out of the Reds’ systems by then, too.
