Arne Slot Provides Update on Player Fitness, Squad Rotation, and Wataru Endo Ahead of Carabao Cup Fixture

Liverpool manager Arne Slot addressed reporters in advance of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fixture against Brighton, scheduled for a 19:30 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press conference: Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott are anticipated to be unavailable until following the November international break. While Conor Bradley is participating in team training and might be included in Wednesday’s squad, Alisson and Federico Chiesa continue to be out of action. Regarding Chiesa, Slot stated that his recovery “goes a bit up and down,” noting his pattern of returning to training only to be sidelined again. Slot further commented: “I don’t want to put days or weeks on it because I think we just have to make sure he gets in the best possible shape.” Addressing potential squad rotation, Slot remarked: “We have got some injuries so we don’t have enough players to change them all if I had wanted to.” Slot indicated that Wataru Endo “might be in the line-up,” explaining that “he also needs playing time” to maintain his competitive edge. Slot elaborated: “Every time we need him, even if it is only for five minutes, he shows up for the team. So for that reason he also deserves to play.” Regarding the opposing team, Brighton, Slot stated: “I like their playing style a lot. What makes Brighton special, in my opinion, is that they might not have the most money in the league but they always find the right ones. So they have a lot of quality.” He mentioned that “it is a balance the club need to find” concerning decisions about retaining or loaning out academy players. Slot further explained: “In certain situations you would prefer to keep them here with you to train every day but that also means they hardly play and that doesn’t lead to progression.”