Arne Slot has warned his players to brace themselves for danger as he explained why Liverpool’s next two games will be more difficult than their last monumental week.
Liverpool’s head coach is riding high and understandably after a seven-game winning spree, the last two of which came against Real Madrid and Manchester City; so good is his mood, Slot could even make a quip about City and their legal wrangle with the Premier League.
After scoring in the 2-0 victory that put Liverpool nine points clear at the top, Salah speculated it could be his last game against City – owing to his contract impasse – to which Slot said: ‘Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 accusations and expects them not to be in the Premier League!
‘The boring answer is always the same. This is not the place for me to talk about Mo's contract. Maybe I've said already too much about the joke I've just made. So that will probably get the headlines. But it was a joke, I repeat, it was a joke!’
Slot was, however, prepared to discuss the challenge Liverpool will face at Newcastle tomorrow evening before heading to Goodison Park on Saturday, two of six away fixtures his squad must negotiate in their next nine assignments in all competitions.
This is a demanding period for Slot, who has only five defenders fit and one of those – Trent Alexander-Arnold – will not be able to play 90 minutes either at St James’s Park or in the Merseyside Derby as he continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring issue.
‘We have a very difficult week coming up,’ said Slot. ‘We have just fought Real Madrid and City but in some respects it gets even harder, an away game at Newcastle. We are in a good position but we have not even played a third of the season yet.’
Though there will be respite to the injury situation when goalkeeper Alisson Becker returns before the end of December, many will wonder whether Liverpool will bolster their squad when the window opens. Slot has confirmed that they are exploring possibilities but will only move if they are sure.
‘We are having discussions every day no matter if a window is coming up or not,’ said Slot. ‘We always talk about the team, which players we like, which players are maybe not in the best place. Fortunately, we talk more about the ones that do well because most of them do really well.
‘It is a bit of a worry that three defenders are out but the good thing is that if the window is open, the defenders are back. I've said many times at the beginning of the season, I am so, so happy with the squad we have.
‘That's not to say if there will be a chance in the market, this club has always shown they will go for it. That's what happened with the goalkeeper (Giorgi Mamardashvili), who isn't even with us yet, we felt it was a chance for us to do it.
‘That is what this club is known for, what people like Richard and Michael Edwards are known for. We are mainly focused on Newcastle, Everton and these nine games coming up but it's normal we have conversations about the squad, what we can change, yes or no, what can happen in the market.’
