Arne Slot issues Florian Wirtz injury update after 'things got worse' for Liverpool star
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Liverpool FC NewsFlorian WirtzLiverpool star Florian Wirtz is out of action for the side's clash with Chelsea in the Premier League, as Arne Slot explains the extent of the issue for the German international.Florian Wirtz misses out on Liverpool's clash with Chelsea(Image: (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images))Liverpool boss Arne Slot has revealed that Florian Wirtz has missed out on the Reds' clash with Chelsea in the Premier League due to an illness issue, after some initial hope that the playmaker would be back in the squad for the match.The Merseyside outfit can take a huge step towards Champions League qualification with a win over an out-of-sorts Chelsea side, but the absence of the number seven in the lineup may only create more problems to an already thin number of forward options.Speaking about Wirtz's absence before the game, Slot spoke to TNT Sports and said: "He tried everything to be in it. But an infection in the stomach [has kept him out of action].“He wasn’t feeling well during the week.
He tried earlier in the week to train, but in the end things got worse and he wasn’t able to train with us yesterday and isn’t able to be with us today.”It means Dominik Szoboszlai will take the attacking playmaker role, while the forward line consists of Rio Ngumoha on the left against his former team, with Jeremie Frimpong on the right, and Cody Gakpo as the central striker.READ MORE: Arne Slot admits financial importance of Liverpool finishing in Champions League placesREAD MORE: Liverpool's dream line-up as Michael Olise and four more signings made for next seasonIt's a far from ideal lineup for Slot, as his Liverpool side contains plenty of make-shift parts, including Curtis Jones at right-back, which has become a common occurrence.For Wirtz, it underlines a rather stop-start season for the 23-year-old, who has shown moments of quality without ever quite stringing them together to be consistently brilliant.The playmaker has made 47 appearances across all competitions this season, with seven goals and ten assists to his name, though he hasn't run games all by himself as he can do.Wirtz has missed periods of the season, most recently in late February and early March with a back issue, but he has featured six times in the Premier League since with one goal and one assist.The illness is the latest setback for a star who is still trying his best to adapt to the league, while the chaos around him in the team won't have helped him settle.That said, a win over Chelsea would banish any thoughts of injury issues and misfortune, though, especially if the team can put right the defeat to Manchester United last time out.Three teams can still leapfrog Liverpool in the race for the Champions League to knock it out of qualification, though a victory would reduce that to just one team, with at least a six-point gap in the final two games and a superior goal difference.That in itself is something clearly on Slot's mind, with the manager revealing in his programme notes before the Chelsea game: "The reality is that any progress that we make now will stand us in good stead for next season and the possibility of Champions League qualification is clearly part of this picture."From a financial perspective for the club and from a sporting point of view for the team, we know the importance of finishing in the top five and that is why it is always a priority."This is a breaking news story. Refresh for the latest news as it drops on Liverpool.com.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Florian WirtzArne SlotLiverpool injury news