Arne Slot says he could use a combination of academy players and creativity to solve Liverpool’s lack of defensive options ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Southampton.
Andy Robertson’s red card against Fulham means he is unavailable due to suspension, leaving Liverpool’s head coach with only four senior defensive options – Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Jarell Quansah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Slot has been keen to rotate his players in this competition and will rest some of his key first-team members to help manage them through the intense Christmas schedule. Van Dijk has played the most minutes of any Liverpool player this season (1890) and Alexander-Arnold the sixth most (1446).
Left-back James Norris and centre-back Amara Nallo are two academy players who have featured in recent matchday squads and could be involved, while Slot hinted at a potential surprise in personnel in his back four.
“I’m aware of the fact that we have only four defenders available and probably the ones that have started a lot of times will not play 90 minutes for sure and maybe not even at all,” Slot told reporters during his pre-match press conference.
“It’s going to be either academy players that are going to get playing time or players that nobody would expect to see in the last line.”
Slot’s defensive options have been limited due to the injuries of Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas. While the first two remain out, Tsimikas is closing in on a return.
“Kostas is coming close,” said Slot. “He’s going to train with us today, maybe, for the first time so let’s see how that works out. Ibou (Konate) and Conor (Bradley) are still not training.”
The 2-2 draw with Fulham saw Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa return to the matchday squad after both had been out through injury for a number of months.
Both would be expected to have the opportunity to build their fitness further tomorrow providing they are fit. However, Jota was unable to train on Monday following his goalscoring cameo against Marco Silva’s side.
“Diogo would have been definitely one that was ideal for him to play but after the game he wasn’t completely fit so he didn’t train with us yesterday,” said Slot. “Let’s see if he can train with us today. Hopefully he can make some minutes, but I don’t expect him to start.
“(It’s) definitely a moment where he (Chiesa) can get minutes. The amount of minutes is a question mark. You cannot expect from him to play 90 especially on this level where the intensity is so high because he’s been out for five or six months now. If he has a good training session he will make minutes. If he starts or comes in and plays the second half, that’s something we have to make a decision about doing.”
Caoimhin Kelleher will return in goal and it will be a chance for players like Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott to also get valuable game time. The former has started both Carabao Cup games, while Elliott is building match fitness after an injury layoff.
GO DEEPER
Jota, Nunez and the battle to be Liverpool’s starting No 9
(Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
