Slot provides worrying insight into Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fitness ahead of Newcastle and Everton
Liverpool have just had an extremely demanding week against Real Madrid and Manchester City but it doesn’t feel like the next two fixtures will be much easier that what we have just endured.
Speaking before the match with Newcastle United, Arne Slot was providing an update on the decision to bring Jarell Quansah onto the pitch as a right back against Pep Guardiola’s team.
The 46-year-old said: “It depends always on the result if people judge it as smart.
“We have to be creative, maybe that’s a better word to use, for the moment that we cannot use Trent [Alexander-Arnold].
“So, last weekend against City, we didn’t think it was smart to play Trent for 90 minutes after his injury.
“That’s probably going to be the same tomorrow and on Saturday as well, so then we have to be creative – and for me Jarell [Quansah] playing over there is not so creative [because] he is able to play there.
“Maybe for whatever reason, if we need Jarell as a centre-back because if one of the centre-backs cannot continue the game, then we need to be even more creative.
“If it works out, you will probably call it smart and if it doesn’t it’s one of the stupidest things I’ve done until now!.”
As much as this can be seen as praise for the young centre back who was asked to play out of position, it does also shed some worrying light on the current fitness of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is still not at full fitness
The festive period is notoriously one where squad depth is thoroughly tested and that will be the case again for the Reds, making this decision understandable.
With Conor Bradley out of the squad for around a month, there are nine games in December alone as so expecting our vice captain to make an immediate return and play so much football would be a lot to ask.
With David Ornstein providing an update on the Scouser’s potential new contract too, we’ve already got enough to talk about with our No.66.
Let’s not allow a repeat of his previous injury derail our chances of success in the coming weeks and months.
Therefore, we should applaud this decision from our head coach, as we dip into the squad for some support for the first team players.
You can watch Arne Slot’s comments on Trent Alexander-Arnold via Liverpool FC on YouTube:
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