Liverpool injury, suspension list and return dates for Barnsley FA Cup third round clash: Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike latest

With their 10-game unbeaten streak on the line, defending Premier League champions Liverpool will welcome League One side Barnsley to Anfield on Monday in the third round of the FA Cup.

Arne Slot's Reds earned a point in a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates on Thursday, and were the better team for large periods without a recognised striker in the squad.

The only negative to that match was the fact that right-back Conor Bradley suffered a suspected major knee injury, and it remains to be seen how the manager will fill the gap given that Jeremie Frimpong has featured further forward in recent weeks.

Liverpool will be missing a number of key stars once again for this cup clash, and Slot is likely to make significant changes to the XI in order to give a rest to those first-team players still standing.

Read on as Sports Mole rounds up the Reds' latest injury and suspension news ahead of their FA Cup clash with Barnsley on Monday.

GIOVANNI LEONI

Status: Out

Type of injury: ACL

Possible return date: Unknown

Nineteen-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni was signed from Parma in the summer of 2025 with immense potential, but he saw his campaign cruelly cut short by an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his Liverpool debut.

The defender is not anticipated to be available until next season, though the Reds still have high hopes for him.

ALEXANDER ISAK

Status: Out

Type of injury: Lower leg

Possible return date: March 21 (vs. Brighton & Hove Albion)

British-record signing Alexander Isak has been hampered by injuries during his first season at Anfield, with his latest being a complex lower leg injury that included a fibula fracture.

The striker underwent successful surgery to resolve the issue, and while he is expected to return to the pitch in 2025-26, Isak is set for at least a couple of months out.

WATARU ENDO

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: January 17 (vs. Burnley)

Versatile defensive midfielder Wataru Endo would have been in line to start against Barnsley, but he remains out with an ankle injury.

When Slot last updated the press about the Japan captain on January 2, he had not returned to training, but the 32-year-old is likely to be back in contention later this month.

HUGO EKITIKE

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: January 17 (vs. Burnley)

One of Liverpool's best players during his debut season on Merseyside, Hugo Ekitike provided five goals and an assist in December, but has missed the last two games after picking up a minor hamstring injury.

Slot said on January 7 that the striker is "not going to be out for long," but stated that the packed winter schedule means he could require a few more days than normal to be back in action.

CONOR BRADLEY

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee injury

Possible return date: Unknown

Conor Bradley has been the Reds' first-choice right-back despite the arrival of Frimpong, but he looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering what appeared to be a serious knee injury against Arsenal.

The severity of the defender's issue has not yet been revealed, though he was stretchered off the pitch and left the Emirates in a knee brace.