A look at the big topics for Arne Slot to deal with when he speaks to the media on Friday ahead of Sunday’s trip to Southampton
Arne Slot will face the media on Friday morning at the AXA Training Centre to preview Sunday’s visit to Southampton at 9:30am. The Reds boss will have plenty to chat about as his team head into the Premier League weekend five points clear of Manchester City, who host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.
The fitness of his international contingent, who returned to the AXA base on Thursday, will be top of the agenda but, as ever, Slot will also have a lot more to contend with when he speaks to the assembled media on the day.
Here, the ECHO takes a look at what is likely to form part of the conversation when the press descend on the club’s £50m training facility on Friday morning.
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Jota fitness
Among a smattering of fitness updates will be Diogo Jota, who was not pictured in training when videos and images dropped online on Tuesday afternoon.
The Portugal international has been absent since Tosin Adaraiboyo landed awkwardly on him during Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield back on October 20. An impact injury to his upper body has been Jota’s problem and Slot has always been optimistic that a return would come after this international break.
“We expect him back after the international break,” said Slot before the Aston Villa game. “Now, after the international break is six or seven months (of the season) to go! He will be back one or two weeks after the international break.”
Contracts latest
As much as Slot might play the straight bat once more, the question over the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will again be bowled down the line.
The Reds’ head coach has always professed that contract talks will remain in-house and it is not totally his remit, even if he will have input alongside sporting director Richard Hughes.
“It would be strange if I had no input,” he said a fortnight ago. “Sometimes being head coach is convenient. Contract situations are talked about by people who need to talk about it. I speak about it with Richard and not in front of you guys with a microphone.”
As much as he might like it to become a non-issue for the media, however, expect Slot to once more be asked to provide an update as January 1 creeps ever closer for Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk.
Liverpool supporters, with that New Year’s Day date that allows all three to talk to clubs about a pre-contract agreement, are likely getting more and more concerned and agitated as the impasse rumbles on.
Mac Allister, Elliott, Chiesa, Alisson updates
Slot will also hopefully be in position to divulge the status of Alisson Becker, Alexis Mac Allister, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott.
Mac Allister was withdrawn in the closing stages of Argentina’s 1-0 win over Peru after a heavy challenge from Carlos Zambrano, which was described by local media as “cheap violence” such was the force of the tackle. The World Cup winner was assessed upon his return to Merseyside and Slot will update accordingly.
Alisson has been back in training this week after his hamstring issue picked up in early October at Crystal Palace, while Elliott has also resumed action after a foot fracture on England Under-21 duty in September.
Chiesa remains an intriguing one, however, with the Italy international still undergoing his own tailored fitness regime to get him up to speed as quickly as possible.
Speaking before the break, Slot said of the forward: “I would not use the word concern but it is far from ideal for him and us. Because with the injury of Dioga (Jota) we have four attackers available, so this could have been a great moment for him to get more playing time.
“It is difficult for a player who missed out on pre-season and playing pre-season games and training sessions. You have to give a player more time to get to the intensity levels. It is a difficult balance to get him where we want but we are trying and he is trying everything he can to get to these levels.
“Once he is at that physical level we will benefit from having him. At this moment we expect him back during the international break and then he should be with us after the international break normally.”
