NewsArne Slot press conference: Squad fitness, FA Cup aims, Barnsley and selection plans
Arne Slot intends to pick the strongest squad possible for the meeting with Barnsley in the Emirates FA Cup, a competition he has stressed is 'very important' to Liverpool.
The Reds begin their journey in this season's edition by hosting League One opposition in the third round at Anfield on Monday night.
Slot previewed the tie during a press conference, where he also offered an update on the fitness of Hugo Ekitike, Jayden Danns and Wataru Endo.
See everything the head coach had to say at the briefing below…
On how important the FA Cup is to him this season...
Last season I made the decision that some players needed to rest in the FA Cup because you cannot play every player every single time. But it's obvious that we're not in the League Cup anymore. The FA Cup has always been very important for us, but sometimes in a season where you still are competing for the League Cup, for the Champions League and the league – with the amount of players we had last season and have this season – you have to make choices. But I can guarantee you that on Monday you will see all the players that you saw [on Thursday], maybe with some substitutions but then they will be on the bench. So that is going to be different than last season against Plymouth.
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Watch on YouTubeOn whether he will use last season's exit against Plymouth Argyle as a 'warning'...
I am not sure, because we all know in the FA Cup or in cup competitions things can happen. But you cannot compare Plymouth away with the players we played back then to Barnsley at home. But Barnsley, I was just informed, the last time they played against us, they beat us. That was in 2008 in our stadium. So we take them, as we took Plymouth, very seriously as well.
People will argue if they look at the line-up [versus Plymouth], but then I again have to tell them why we did this, why we played the League Cup against Crystal Palace with the players we played. That is because if we might have played maybe Virgil [van Dijk] and these players again, I would have missed out on them maybe as well.
On if any other players will come back on Monday...
Hugo, that is not 100 per cent sure but we will do everything to have him available on Monday.
On Wataru Endo's fitness...
I think if I am correct he might start to train one of these days, but he has been out for two months now, that's of course different to being out for one week. Alex [Isak] is not going to be back yet and Mo [Salah] played on Saturday.
On if Jayden Danns is available...
No. Not fit enough, no. Not even training, if I'm correct. One of the players that got a stress fracture because he was young and from what we've been told was a bit over-trained. That's why we are so careful with Rio Ngumoha, that he's two days a week off the pitch if that's possible, to not have that same situation with him. But Jayden is definitely not available in the short term.
On whether this game is a chance for Federico Chiesa...
I spoke to him two days ago and he said to me that he played more in the recent weeks than he ever did before under me. But he is one of the players that could feature in that game, definitely. But, like I said, Hugo might be back so let's see how we will start that game. He is one of the options that I have, so let's see.