Four Liverpool players could miss Chelsea game as Arne Slot waits for updates

Liverpool is gearing up for a return to Premier League action in just a week's time , with a tantalizing clash against Chelsea at Anfield on the horizon. The Reds, under the guidance of Arne Slot , currently sit atop the table having secured six victories from their seven outings so far.

Meanwhile, Chelsea , led by new coach Enzo Maresca, have also hit the ground running and sit fourth in the league, remaining unbeaten since their opening day defeat to Manchester City . As the international break draws to a close, both clubs will be keen to avoid any injury setbacks, especially considering Liverpool had around 20 players on national duty over the past week.

So, who might be missing from the line-up when the two titans clash in seven days?

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Alisson Becker is a confirmed absentee, with the Brazilian goalkeeper expected to be out for a minimum of six weeks due to a hamstring tear sustained during the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend. His deputy, Caoimhin Kelleher , is back in action after an illness kept him out of the Palace game, with Vitezslav Jaros stepping in temporarily.

Harvey Elliott is another likely to miss the Chelsea showdown as he continues his recovery from a broken foot suffered during the September internationals. The 21-year-old has been sidelined for the last seven games and is yet to rejoin full training, although he is back in the gym working on his fitness.

Liverpool are crossing their fingers for Elliott's return as they face a challenging set of fixtures, including high-stakes matches against Arsenal, Aston Villa, and German titans Bayer Leverkusen. Meanwhile, there remains some doubt around Alexis Mac Allister , who had to be replaced during the victory at Palace due to a groin issue.

Despite joining the Argentina squad, he remained an unused substitute in the 1-1 stalemate with Venezuela on Thursday. With Argentina scheduled to play Bolivia this week, manager Lionel Scaloni has revealed that Mac Allister is on a different training regime, saying: "Alexis is training differently. Let's see if he is ready for the first game. For now he has not been able to train with us and we will make the decision if he is part of the squad or the bench, but today it is difficult for him."

He added: "I think we have to take care of him. He is a boy who comes with a lot of games and today the situation is like this."

In other news, Federico Chiesa was absent from Italy's international roster after missing recent victories due to his own fitness concerns. Slot will be eager to have Chiesa back in contention for the upcoming clash with Chelsea.