.”
Liverpool’s new Dutch coach Arne Slot has rattled through that list of objectives and is pleasantly sat at the Premier League’s summit. The Reds stroll into this weekend’s fixtures with a five-point lead above Manchester City and are already nine points ahead of everyone else in the division.
However, a daunting slate of matches against Real Madrid and Manchester City over the next week – which Slot has optimistically framed as “an incredible fixture list” – could make matters a little less pleasant.
A glut of injuries to a gaggle of first-team stars threatens to complicate the situation even further. Ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Southampton on Sunday, Slot provided the latest updates on his various fitness doubts.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was one of nine players to withdraw from Lee Carsley’s England squad this month. Liverpool’s full-back pulled up in the first half of his side’s victory over Aston Villa on the eve of the international break with a hamstring problem.
Despite two weeks of rest and recuperation, Slot revealed: “Trent isn’t training with us, but he’s getting there to be back with us soon.”
The Dutch coach ruled out Alexander-Arnold’s involvement against Southampton on Sunday and admitted that he was “in between” for the upcoming Champions League fixture against Real Madrid on Wednesday or next weekend’s clash with Manchester City.
“We have to wait and see,” Slot shrugged.
A wave of nervous energy rippled throughout the Liverpool fanbase when it emerged that Virgil van Dijk had returned home early from international duty with the Netherlands this month “on medical grounds”.
However, there appears to have been no lasting damage for Liverpool’s talismanic skipper. “Virgil is …
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