Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff were both sent off after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Everton, meaning neither will be in the dugout against Wolves.
Unless Liverpool appeal – and are successful in appealing – the dismissal of Slot and/or Hulshoff at Goodison Park, both will be suspended for Sunday’s visit of Wolves.
Curtis Jones will also miss that Premier League clash having been shown a second yellow card for his involvement in a tussle with the goading Abdoulaye Doucoure.
While the Reds can absorb the absence of their No. 17, it is not as straightforward when it comes to their head coach and first assistant coach missing out.
Hulshoff stood in for Slot when he was suspended for the 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in December, but he will not be eligible to do so this time around.
Instead the most likely candidate is assistant coach John Heitinga, the former Everton defender who now acts as Slot’s third-in-command.
Heitinga has senior managerial experience having led Ajax for 22 games in the second half of the 2022/23 season – with a record of 14 wins, three draws and five losses, including a 2-1 win over Slot’s Feyenoord in the KNVB Cup.
He was overlooked for the permanent role at Ajax – with Maurice Steijn instead taking over for a reign that lasted 11 games – which led Heitinga to a coaching position at West Ham.
The 41-year-old has impressed with his hands-on approach in training since joining Liverpool in the summer and has already been considered for managerial roles elsewhere.
He was on a list of candidates for the West Brom job following Carlos Corberan’s departure at the end of 2024, but opted to stay at Anfield.
First-team individual development coach Aaron Briggs would be another option for the Liverpool dugout on Sunday, with the 37-year-old – another new arrival – a particularly vocal presence in training and on the touchline.
But all signs point to Heitinga, a former Everton player, being de facto manager of Liverpool when Wolves head to Merseyside this weekend.
“I couldn’t have wished for more,” Slot said of his No. 3 earlier in the campaign.
“If I say talented, I don’t even rate him high enough because he’s more than that already. He’s been a head coach himself, but he’s still young.
“[He] grew into our staff from the start in a very good manner, so has the same idea about football. That’s also why I chose him to come to us as well.
“But the way he is with the boys, just like Sipke is, [is] very positive.”
