03/05/2026

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theSun on Sunday MAY 3, 2026

SPORTS 13

Liverpool hit by fresh injury scare ahead of United clash ARNE SLOT has conceded that Alisson Becker remains a doubt for Liverpool’s mouth-watering clash at Manchester United today – but hinted the Brazilian will start, provided he comes through a single training session unscathed. Alisson has been sidelined for the past seven matches with a hamstring problem that has plagued him for a large portion of the season. With Giorgi Mamardashvili also on the treatment table as he recovers from the injury sustained during the derby victory at Everton a fortnight ago, Freddie Woodman could once again start. Woodman stepped in for Mamardashvili at Hill Dickinson Stadium before delivering a man-of-the-match display in the 3-1 home triumph over Crystal Palace last Saturday. “Ali hasn’t trained with us yet. Very close to train with us. I have to hear today from the medical staff to see if he is ready to train today, either tomorrow or the start of next week,” Liverpool manager Slot said on Friday. “He is very close, but also we don’t want to take any risks. That is not what you do with a player and that is not what we do now. “I think there is a difference between a goalkeeper and (an outfield) player because if a player hasn’t trained in a few weeks… (outfield) players need to run more than goalkeepers do. So I don’t think the issue with an (outfield) player when he is out for four or five weeks that he forgot to play football, it’s usually that the fitness levels are not at this intensity to play at the level the Premier League is asking. There is a difference between a goalkeeper and an outfield player. “For us, it is a bonus every player that comes back because it is getting longer and longer. It has been like that throughout the whole season.” Liverpool will additionally be missing Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni, and have been hit by a fresh injury scare with Milos Kerkez. Slot hopes the Hungarian could still be in the squad today despite picking up a knock earlier this week. “Milos has had some niggles,” said Slot. “He left the training pitch the day before yesterday but I expect him to train either today or tomorrow.” Liverpool travel to United today targeting a fourth consecutive Premier League win that would take them above their fierce rivals and place them in a commanding position to secure Champions League football after a turbulent campaign. They will be forced to manage without Mohamed Salah, owing to the hamstring problem that cut short his appearance against Palace. But it was confirmed this week that the Egyptian is expected to feature for Liverpool once more before his departure at the end of the season. – Express Newspapers

Man United claims victory over Liverpool during their last Premier League match in October last year. – REUTERSPIC

Red rumble

Man Utd boss Carrick relishes ‘special’ Liverpool rivalry

MICHAEL CARRICK believes Manchester United against Liverpool is always a “standout” fixture even though neither club are challenging for the Premier League title this season. England’s two most successful clubs, with 20 League titles each, meet at Old Trafford today (10.30pm Malaysian time), with both firmly on track to qualify for next season’s Champions League. United are third in the table, three points clear of Liverpool, with the top five guaranteed a place in Europe’s top club competition next season. “Certainly one of my favourite games, without doubt it’s a standout game,” said United boss Carrick. “There’s big games and big rivalries

points behind champions Liverpool. “I just think this probably shows the improvements of the group, really, and getting stronger,” he said. “And to be coming into this game in such a good position, on the back of good results, and trying to achieve and moving forward. “So, fully aware of the situation in the league and how close it is between us. But that’ s not something, really, we’ve focused on going into this game. I think it’s a one off game.” The United boss said the club were “over the moon” after Kobbie Mainoo signed a new five-year contract this week. The England international, 21, fell out of favour under former boss Ruben Amorim but was restored to the first team when Carrick took over in January, play ing a key role in their resurgence. “He’s done fantastic with it,” said Carrick. “There’s more to come, there’s loads more to come. I keep saying that for some time because he’s such a young man, but he’s in a great spot at the moment.” On the back of the 2-1 victory over Brentford on Tuesday, there is positive news coming out of the United camp. Matheus Cunha was forced to sit out the victory over the Bees with a sore hip flexor but is making good progress, while it is also hoped Luke Shaw will be available to maintain his run of starting every Premier League game this season, despite being taken off, last time out. “We’re in good shape really,” Carrick told reporters during his pre-match press conference at Carrington yesterday. “Matheus has done a little bit of work, so we’re hopeful. We’re not sure but we’re hopeful.” – AFP/Agencies have the quality to win this game and it is not a miracle, so I think we have to be positive and to be lucky because we are working in a big club. “I heard that it is impossible, we are crying and we are relegated. But no, not yet. We have to die on the pitch , we have to fight. “OK it is not the best moment for us but los ers cry. Losers think negative. I don’t want people close to me crying or to think in a dif ferent way to me. We are good enough to win the games and we are good enough to stay up.” – The Independent

that we have with other teams, but certainly this one is right up there. “The history, the ups and downs the past has pro duced in these types of

games and the excite ment and entertain ment, and the emo tion, which is a huge part of it.

It makes it a really special game.” The for mer United midfielder said the club had made great strides since

Man United manager Michael Carrick. – REUTERSPIC

last season, when they finished a mis erable 15th in the table, 42

I don’t want crying, says Tottenham boss De Zerbi

BY GEORGE SESSIONS

ers and most important players for us. “Our medical staff is not good enough and the pitch of the stadium is not good, the pitch of the training ground is not good. “It is impossible to win two or three games in a row because we have not won too many games in 2026’. I think it is all negative things and it is rubbish. “We go to play against one of the best teams in this moment in the Premier League. We have a big respect for Emery as a coach, but if Tottenham win in Villa Park, it is not a miracle. Maybe we lose, I don’t know, but we

press conference with a four-minute mono logue about silencing negativity and reiterated his belief 18th-placed Tottenham can stay up. “I watched you. I watched you this week,” De Zerbi told a Sky Sports reporter. “Listen, I want to be clear one time. The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside of the players, inside of the staff and inside of the fans. This voice can produce negative thoughts. “The voice says, ‘we are unlucky, we have too many injuries, we lost Xavi (Simons) and he was the last two games one of the best play

ROBERTO DE ZERBI has warned Tottenham’s relegation rivals not to count them out and promised there will be no crying at the club over more injury problems this season. Spurs secured a first Premier League win in 16 matches at Wolves on Saturday, but it was quickly followed by Xavi Simons (knee) being ruled out for the majority of 2026 while Dominic Solanke is also out with a hamstring issue. Ahead of tomorrow’s (2am Malaysian time) trip to Aston Villa, De Zerbi started his