Arne Slot Addresses Alisson’s Fitness, Squad Rotation, and Girona Challenge

Liverpool manager Arne Slot addressed the media ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League fixture against Girona, scheduled for a 17:45 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press conference: Slot verified that Alisson, having been part of the squad that traveled on Monday, is in suitable condition to play against the Spanish team. The Liverpool manager stated that the return of their “outstanding” number one goalkeeper “speaks for itself,” further commenting: “But, if you look at how his replacement did, it is difficult to do even better. We expect some margins may be better, but Kelleher did so well we can say we have two very good goalkeepers who can do the job well.” Slot expressed uncertainty regarding the benefit of securing the top spot in the Champions League group for the subsequent round. However, he noted that the team consistently fields its starting players because “need results to finish in the highest possible position to skip the play-off round”. Slot further remarked: “In the end, if it means by playing your starters always and skipping that next round then still having a difficult draw, maybe then we are going to think about it differently next season in the group stage. But we have to wait and see. First of all, we want to stay in the top eight and we think we still need one win.” Regarding the possibility of rotating players or the impact of Saturday’s postponed match, Slot stated: “If we had played that game then we would have still played the same team tomorrow night, but you don’t know what that fixture would have led too. Very good choice to cancel the game for the safety of people and if you want a special last game at Goodison Park then you need good circumstances. Everyone is really fit because we skip that game so no reason to rotate.” Concerning the benefit of avoiding a play-off round, a stage that Premier League clubs Arsenal and Manchester City might have to contest, Slot commented: “If we end up in the top, I imagine they will as well. Arsenal 95%, City need a bit more, but they are able to win three times in a row as well. I don’t know if it is an advantage. We have played nearly every three days and not done that bad.” He humorously suggested: “Maybe we should implement friendly games [for the play-off time] if we do finish in the top eight.” Slot expressed his view that Girona’s achievements over recent years are “really special,” noting that they were “close to becoming like Leicester City of England a couple of years ago, competing for title”. He further elaborated: “With this budget it shows how good the manager is. This season they still do better than results might look.”