What Liverpool fans saw in training today offers big clue as to how Slot will approach PSV clash

Arne Slot will no doubt be determined for Liverpool to go into the Champions League knockout rounds with a 100% record from the league phase, although there’s little at stake for the Reds when they take on PSV Eindhoven tomorrow night.

Having won all seven of our matches in the competition so far, we’re already guaranteed a top-two finish, which brings with it the theoretically easiest route to the final if LFC can make it that far.

The trip to Netherlands is our eighth and final match in January, and it comes less than 72 hours before a crucial and tricky Premier League fixture away to a red-hot Bournemouth side who have no midweek obligations.

Slot calls up numerous academy gems to first-team training

As per Liverpool Echo, Slot has taken advantage of the absence of jeopardy for the PSV game by calling up a number of academy players to train with the senior squad in Kirkby this afternoon.

Jayden Danns and James McConnell are widely regarded as first-team members by now, while Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha have already trained with the seniors on several occasions throughout the campaign so far.

However, a host of other academy gems were called up to train with the big boys, with Kieran Morrison, Isaac Mabaya, Trent Kone-Doherty, Wellity Lucky, Amara Nallo, James Norris, Dominic Corness and Tommy Pilling all involved at the AXA Training Centre today.

Slot mustn’t take any unnecessary selection risks against PSV

As much as Slot would like for Liverpool to win tomorrow, and to respect the integrity of the competition given that PSV are jostling for a favourable play-off tie (and still have a chance of bypassing that round by finishing in the top eight), the sensible approach would be to field a much-changed line-up in Eindhoven.

Alexis Mac Allister and Ibrahima Konate are one yellow card away from triggering a suspension, so it’d be foolish to risk that happening in a game which means virtually nothing for the Reds.

It’d also be advisable for ever-presents such as Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah, Ryan Gravenberch and Trent Alexander-Arnold to be given the night off and kept fresh for the far more important assignment against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Slot might be reluctant to throw untested academy players into a Champions League game against a seasoned PSV outfit, for fear that a difficult night could affect their confidence, but it seems like the perfect setting for Danns, McConnell and Nyoni to play from the start.

There should also be appearances for more senior names who’ve only featured sporadically this season, such as Federico Chiesa, Tyler Morton, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo.

Even if youngsters like Morrison, Kone-Doherty, Nallo and Norris don’t start at the Philips Stadion, even their presence in the matchday squad would indicate that the Liverpool head coach will indulge in the luxury of a rare fixture without any real pressure and not take any needless selection risks.

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