Liverpool injuries and return dates amid latest Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah updates

After participating in two cup matches, one of which was a final, Liverpool are once again preparing for a league fixture this weekend, heading south to play Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Liverpool's last league match was a 4-1 victory against Luton Town on February 21, and securing a win this time around is crucial if the Reds are to maintain their position at the top of the table, with Arsenal and Man City both closely trailing behind.

For Jürgen Klopp, the club's injury crisis continues to be a challenge, with as many as 13 players still recovering from various injuries.

In the recent cup victory against Southampton, Klopp called upon several talented young players from the academy, and they delivered impressively.

For the upcoming match against the struggling Forest, Klopp may rely on these young players once again, although many of them might start from the bench at the City Ground rather than being in the starting lineup. This, based on recent performances, could be a beneficial strategy.

However, there might be some positive news for Klopp, as Darwin Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai, both of whom were rested for the Southampton match, could be fit and available for the game against Forest, as they recover from muscle injuries. It will take a little longer for Mohamed Salah to be ready to return.

Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endō

Klopp has confirmed that Gravenberch will be sidelined for the Nottingham Forest match due to ligament injury sustained during Sunday's Carabao Cup final. While the Liverpool manager has hinted that the injury isn't as severe as initially feared, an immediate comeback seems unlikely.

Klopp is optimistic about Endō's availability this weekend. Although the Japanese midfielder left Wembley wearing a protective boot, he was seen without it at the AXA Training Centre on Monday. Although he wasn't risked in the Southampton match, he is expected to be fit enough to play some part against Forest.

Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, and Jones remain far from rejoining the squad. Pep Lijnders, before the Carabao Cup final, confirmed that all three are unlikely to return until after the March international break, with Jones being the only one who might make an earlier comeback. So, it's almost certain that we won't see them until April.

Diogo Jota

Jota is expected to spend more time on the bench than Alisson, Jones, and Alexander-Arnold. The Portuguese player sustained a medial ligament injury in the 3-1 victory over Brentford, as confirmed by Lijnders, and his season has been characterized by a series of starts and stops.

The 27-year-old is unlikely to return until after the March international break and may require additional recovery time beyond that. No specific timeline has been provided for his potential return.

Stefan Bajčetić

“Stefan is one of these things. I had lunch and I saw him training and sat there and thought, ‘Why is he not playing?!’” Klopp said before the Southampton game. "He’s obviously gaining fitness now and running around like wow. He’s doing everything, but he did not get the green light yet for team training.” Return date: Unknown.

Thiago Alcântara, Joël Matip and Ben Doak

“There is no timescale. I don’t know [if Thiago will play again this season], to be honest,” Klopp said of the Spaniard. “What he has to do now from a medical point of view, I don’t know if that will then mean that he can play again.”

Matip has been out since suffering an ACL injury against Fulham in early December, while Thiago has spent much of the last year injured, briefly coming back in the league defeat to Arsenal on February 4 before suffering a setback.

Doak, meanwhile, has no set return date after undergoing knee surgery. This Is Anfield did state last month that he could be back before the end of the campaign, but it remains to be seen exactly when we will see the Scot return to action. Return dates: Unknown but not anytime soon.