Arne Slot on latest Liverpool injury: “the last thing we could use right now”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was brutally honest when asked about the state of the squad ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup fourth round clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Slot called another injury to his squad “the last thing we could use right now,” while also hinting that the huge number of games is contributing to the situation surrounding his depleted squad.

At the time of writing, Liverpool have all of Endo, Bajcetic, Frimpong, Isak, Leoni, and Bradley out with various physical issues. The Japanese midfielder was most recently sidelined with what Slot simply labelled “a foot injury.” A club statement confirmed that Endo would face “a lengthy absence” before returning to the field.

“A player could get injured if he has to play three games in seven days”

“The load management is important because the last thing we could use right now is another injury,” Slot admitted to reporters. “That is always the difficult balance for the manager, including his medical staff, what is the best decision to make every single time. It is also true that a player could get injured if he has to play three games in seven days. But it also happened many times that a player could play three games in seven days.

“So that’s the challenge we are having, but the most important thing is we have to train today, see how the players are doing, listen to how they feel and then make the best possible decision.”

The Premier League champions haven’t been their scintillating selves this season, and have failed to command games in the same way as they did in the previous campaign. When asked what differences he sees between the two seasons, Slot put it down to fine margins, saying that they “have been so small for us this season. Every single time the other team has a bit of a sniff in the game, all of a sudden they score. [Whereas] we need to put so much in it before we are able to score.

Related stories

Real Madrid

Bellingham's manager calls injury “a race against time”

Premier League

Why the Premier League stops this weekend

“I didn’t see that much difference in the last 20 minutes [of Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Sunderland] as I saw against City [in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat],” he added. “The difference was that the first time they arrived after us scoring it was a goal. Before that we were challenging them in their box to score the second. So the margins are really small.”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.