Arne Slot Addresses Player Status, Salah’s Remarks, and Upcoming Fixtures

Liverpool manager Arne Slot addressed reporters ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League fixture against Real Madrid, scheduled for a 20:00 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press conference: Trent Alexander-Arnold is included in the matchday squad but will not be able to start. Slot commented, “Maybe he plays a few minutes, but in an ideal world he doesn’t and only if necessary.” Harvey Elliott is also expected to be on the team sheet, though a starting position is improbable, with Slot stating “he hasn’t played competitive football in a long time.” Diogo Jota, Alisson, Federico Chiesa, and Kostas Tsimikas continue to be sidelined due to their respective injuries. Regarding Mohamed Salah’s remarks about being “more out than in,” Slot responded, “If I look at my line-ups, Mo is more in than out. That is the quote I can give you. I don’t think he’s distracted at all, I haven’t seen that. He’s just fully-focused on the game tomorrow.” Further addressing whether this might unsettle the team, Slot noted, “If you had been at the AXA [training centre] today, not one player spoke about it when I was there. Players always focus on the short term and for us that’s Real Madrid and Manchester City.” Slot characterized the current period as “a special week” for himself and his squad, given they are scheduled to play against Champions League powerhouses Real and City, teams that “have dominated Europe and the league for a while now.” Pertaining to Carlo Ancelotti’s team, Slot remarked, “They can win in so many ways. That is why they won this competition so many times. They can turn games around and they can also take the ball from you and dominate from the start. That is what makes them so special.” He mentioned that Kylian Mbappe “has shown so many times that he is difficult to defend” against, adding that “we have to be ready for him.” Addressing former Reds defender Jamie Carragher’s assertion that Salah is “selfish,” Slot stated, “I focus a bit more on what else he said. He said he was one of the best five players Liverpool had. I agree with him. I don’t think it distracts Mo. I think it brings the best out of him.”