Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Friday’s FA Cup fifth round game against Wolves at Molineux (20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Floran Wirtz trained yesterday so has made the “next step in his rehab” and could be available “for a few minutes in the best scenario” on Friday. Slot added he has no other fresh injury concerns after Tuesday’s league defeat at Molineux.
On potential rotation he said: “We have a few [options for changes] but we don’t have 11. I always have options to bring in and players we can bring in and let them start. Not for the first time this season, three days after a game where we have dropped points. I’ve seen us do quite a lot this season, we have to be better than we were last time.”
More on Tuesday’s defeat: “A game which was not so difficult to analyse. A lot of ball possession without being able to create many chances, not for the first time this season. Enough chances to win the game but we didn’t convert it into goals. The first attack they had led to a goal. It was hard to take but we’re one day away from another really important game for us. We know we have to be better tomorrow.”
Slot was asked about the Reds’ record of conceding late goals this season, including on Tuesday: “It’s a real concern if you lose and if you lose many times in the same manner it’s even more a concern. The way we concede goals in the last minute is not always similar. Some of these goals are not from big chances. You always try to prevent the other team getting big chances.”
On the importance of the FA Cup: “We always find every trophy we can win very important. Champions League qualification is massive as we all know but tomorrow the FA Cup is on the line and that is a massive game for us.”
Where has he seen progression in recent weeks?: “You see individual players getting better and better but progress has had setbacks because of injuries. We had to adjust to the Florian Wirtz injury, that has happened to us a lot this season. At times this season we conceded a lot of goals and counter-attacks but I see improvement there. Bringing from all the ball possession into chances we have seen some improvement.”
On Cody Gakpo, whose only goal in his last nine came in last weekend’s win over West Ham: “We are not in terms of chance creation last in the league. We’re not doing that bad. We’re also the team with most ball possession so you’d expect us to create more. Cody and Mo [Salah] we expect and they expect from themselves to score more. But attacking isn’t just down to Cody and Mo in the same way defending isn’t just down to Virgil and Ibou. Let’s create even more and the goals will come.”
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[BBC]
