'Maybe' - Liverpool keep Newcastle United & £38m star guessing as fresh injury confirmed

Arne Slot has left Newcastle United guessing on who will start at right-back for Liverpool at Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

The Reds are without both their recognised options, with Trent Alexander Arnold joining Conor Bradley on the sidelines after he sustained an ankle injury during the Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Jarell Quansah was introduced in Alexander-Arnold’s place and is expected to start at Wembley. However, Slot also has Wataru Endo, while he also namedropped Curtis Jones as a potential option.

Arne Slot keeps Newcastle United guessing after injury blow

Slot said: “I think maybe even Curtis [Jones] can play there. And you can also play as a left-footed defender on the right side, which is what Newcastle are doing at the moment but on the opposite [side].

“So, Trent is indeed not available. He will not be there at the final. But he is still to be assessed for how long it’s going to take but we do expect him back in the end of the season.”

Quansah was deployed at right-back when Liverpool visited St James’ Park in December, with the two teams playing out an entertaining 3-3 draw.

“He did really well the last few times he had to play for us and even in a position he's not completely used to as a right full-back,” Slot added. But in my opinion, he has also the qualities to play in that position.

“He's strong, he's fast, he's very comfortable with the ball and it gives us an extra quality if we play him, which we saw [against Paris Saint-Germain], in terms of set-pieces because he was the one that was this far away from us qualifying for the next round by heading the ball onto the post, because that one was not offside.

"He showed mentality and that he had quality. That's already what we knew when we saw him playing last season."

Quansah was given a tough time by Anthony Gordon on Tyneside, however the Scouser is suspended after being sent off in the recent FA Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Harvey Barnes set to start for Newcastle United

Eddie Howe’s side are also without left-back Lewis Hall due to an ankle injury, meaning Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes are expected form United’s left-side.

Livramento has been a regular for Newcastle at right-back this campaign, though Barnes has found game time harder to come by since joining from Leicester City for £38m in 2023 due to the form of Gordon.

Howe said: “Yeah, it's a great opportunity potentially for Harvey. I think he did really well against West Ham because that's not an easy game for him to come in. Really pleased with his cross for the goal, I thought it was an outstanding piece of technical delivery really, floated the ball in, Bruno applied the finishing touch.

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“He's done that consistently when he's played for us, he's very much a producer of big moments, goals, assists, which you want all your attacking players to have the capability of delivering.

“He's got that X-factor, he's been competing with a very good player for the same position, although we have used Harvey off the right quite a lot when he's been fit, sort of the middle end of the season. Yeah, I'm hopeful if selected Harvey would give a good performance.”

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