Liverpool top Premier League injury table with 9 players out ahead of Palace clashThe scale of Liverpool’s current injury problems has been laid bare ahead of our clash with Crystal Palace, with new Premier League data confirming we are the worst-affected squad in the division.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYAccording to figures released by the Premier League, Liverpool have the most injuries with nine players out, highlighting just how stretched Arne Slot’s options are heading into a crucial stage of the season.Liverpool injury crisis laid bare by Premier League dataThe dataset shows a clear gap between us and the rest of the league, with even Chelsea, the next worst hit, still two players better off in terms of availability.That context matters because it underlines that this isn’t just a difficult spell, it’s the toughest injury situation in the entire Premier League right now.When you look at the names currently sidelined, it becomes even more concerning, with Hugo Ekitike ruled out long-term after surgery, while both Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili are unavailable, leaving us short in goal.Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley and Stefan Bajcetic are also among those missing, meaning the spine and depth of the squad have both taken significant hits.Palace boost adds to Liverpool challengeWhat makes the situation more difficult heading into the weekend is that Crystal Palace appear to be heading in the opposite direction in terms of availability.Oliver Glasner has already suggested that Adam Wharton should be back in time to face us, giving the visitors a timely boost just as we are dealing with our worst injury period of the season.At the same time, the long-term nature of some of our absentees cannot be ignored, with Paul Joyce confirming: “Hugo Ekitike has undergone successful surgery on the achilles injury… No timescale is being placed on the striker’s return.”That means this isn’t a short-term issue we can quickly recover from, but something that will continue to impact us as we push for a top-five finish.Despite that, we’ve already shown resilience, most notably in the late derby win over Everton, but there’s no doubt the current injury situation is making that task far more difficult than it should be.