Arne Slot hints at starting XI shake-up after United defeat

Liverpool have confirmed the squad travelling to Germany for the Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt – and there’s one notable omission.

Our head coach Arne Slot has chosen to rest and rotate key players as the Reds continue a demanding run of three matches in just seven days.

Arne Slot on Liverpool rotation and Gravenberch injury

A 21-man squad made the journey to Germany on Tuesday night, but Ryan Gravenberch was left behind after twisting his ankle during Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United.

Speaking via Liverpoolfc.com, the 47-year-old explained: “Yeah, I had to take him off during the weekend because he limped a little bit, as we could all see. So, unfortunately, he’s not ready to play tomorrow.”

The Dutch boss continued: “That already means I definitely have to change one player and with him not being there, that might mean something for others as well.”

Gravenberch’s absence follows reports from Physio Scout suggesting a lateral ankle sprain was the likely outcome, with a recovery window of up to four weeks depending on severity.

Our No.38 had been one of the standout performers this season and Slot will now be hoping the midfielder can recover in time for the trip to Brentford at the weekend.

Liverpool squad depth tested again in Champions League

Wataru Endo returns to the fold after missing the United game, while Federico Chiesa is part of our Champions League squad – added to replace the injured Giovanni Leoni.

There’s also a potential reunion on the cards, with Hugo Ekitike in line to face his former club and both Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz returning to Germany for the first time since joining us from Bayer Leverkusen.

The fixture arrives just days after a disappointing league defeat, with Slot confirming: “We have more than 11 players that can start a game of football for us… and we’ll use a lot of players again tomorrow.”

It’s the kind of statement that underlines how much faith our head coach has in the depth of this Liverpool squad – one that will need to show its strength across multiple fronts this season.

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The post Arne Slot hints at starting XI shake-up after United defeat appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.