Jeremie Frimpong is fit enough to play at Crystal Palace on Sunday — but Liverpool have reportedly decided he will not, holding the right-back back until after the international break rather than risking another hamstring setback.
Frimpong has missed Liverpool's last five games after lasting only minutes as a half-time substitute at Brentford on 17 October, when another muscle problem forced him straight back off. According to the Mail's Lewis Steele, reported by This Is Anfield, the Dutchman is now "all-but fit and could play this weekend if needed" — but the club have chosen to delay his comeback anyway.
Why Liverpool are waiting
The caution is rooted in Frimpong's record since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen. The report puts his absence total at 25 games missed since the start of last season, a stark contrast with his largely injury-free years in Germany, and Liverpool's medical staff are determined not to repeat a recent mistake.
That lesson is fresh. Dominik Szoboszlai was rushed back from a similar hamstring problem last month and aggravated it at Brentford, and the same thinking now applies to Frimpong: one more week of patience is cheaper than another six weeks out.
It helps that Andoni Iraola has a credible alternative. Ronald Araujo has assumed the first-choice right-back role in Frimpong's absence and will be fresh for Selhurst Park after being left as an unused substitute in Wednesday's 3-2 defeat at Fenerbahce.
The wider Liverpool picture
Frimpong is not Liverpool's only concern before the break. Ryan Gravenberch remains a doubt with a heel injury that requires daily check-ins to assess his pain, and Iraola was due to give a further squad update at his Friday press conference. Sports Mole still list Frimpong as out for Sunday, with a possible return date of 22 November against Manchester United — the first game after the break, which fits the reported plan exactly.
The Netherlands picture points the same way. Frimpong was called up last month but did not feature, and with the Dutch squad for this break being announced on Friday, he is not expected to be selected this time — giving him a clear fortnight to rebuild fitness at Kirkby instead. His season so far underlines how stop-start it has been: just five appearances and 201 minutes in all competitions.
So what does it mean?
Liverpool sign off for the break at a ground where they lost on their most recent visit, after a draining defeat in Istanbul. Winning at Palace without Frimpong would keep their revival on track; losing a third straight game would send them into the break under real pressure — and make the decision to leave a fit player at home look very different.
The longer game matters more, though. A fully fit Frimpong for the run from late November — starting with Manchester United on the 22nd — is worth far more than 20 risky minutes at Selhurst Park.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is the right call, and it is also an admission. Liverpool rushed Szoboszlai and paid for it; with Frimpong they are finally learning that a hamstring record like his is managed, not gambled on. If Araujo holds up at Palace, nobody will remember Frimpong was missing. If he breaks down again in December because he was hurried in November, everybody would.
Should Liverpool have risked Frimpong at Palace, or is waiting until after the break the sensible move? Let us know in the comments.
