Arne Slot has revealed what “Owen Hargreaves showed me” to explain what’s “different” about Liverpool this season and why Alexander Isak is struggling for form at Anfield.
Liverpool’s elimination from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace on Wednesday made it six defeats in seven for the reigning Premier League champions and they welcome Aston Villa to Anfield on Saturday night as they look to get their season back on track.
Slot, having led Liverpool to the top of the table with five wins from five to start the season, is now incredibly second in the Premier League sack race and has faced significant criticism this week having all but ceded the game to Crystal Palace by resting the vast majority of his stuttering first-team stars.
Many of those players will return for their clash against Villa, though some – including Isak – will be missing through injury, and Slot said a conversation with former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves opened his eyes to a “difference” at Liverpool this term.
“We handle the situation as it is. Alex [Isak], let me use as an example, pre-season was inside the season. People ask why he plays? Otherwise I have to play Hugo [Ekitike] every game,” Slot said in his pre-match press conference.
“Both strikers, Owen Hargreaves showed me, both played 34 games last season, we play 60 over here, so I need Alex having as many games as he can.
“And that has been something with him and a few others, – [Jeremie] Frimpong, [Conor] Bradley – if one is out one has to play more, hence [Dominik] Szoboszlai at right-back more.
“That has been something every team, so it’s not an excuse but it was a bit different than last season, last season they all had one year PL experience as a minimum, they stayed fit.
“Now some have to play more than you want them to but it is just the situation as it is. We have enough to play the games but I have to take care of a few of them, why I made the decision not to play 7 or 8.”
Jeremie Frimpong is currently out injured, while Isak picked up a groin problem during their hammering of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
But Slot did have good news with regard to Ryan Gravenberch, who suffered an ankle injury in the defeat to Manchester United.
Slot added: “Ryan trained yesterday, Isak and Jones didn’t yet,” Slot said, revealing Curtis Jones and Isak will miss the clash against Aston Villa.
“Timescale…I said many times, the end phase of the injury, things can go slow or faster. Let’s wait and see where they are. Ryan trained yesterday and is with us today and we’ll make the call if he can start. The other two [99.9% not in the squad.”