Arne Slot has defended his decision to field a heavily rotated Liverpool team as the Reds suffered a sixth defeat in seven games following a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. Goals from Ismaïla Sarr and Yéremy Pino sent Palace through to the quarter-finals, with Slot making ten changes from the side that started at Brentford on Saturday.
The Liverpool manager stood by his selection, which included nine inexperienced youngsters on the bench, citing the demanding fixture schedule and a mounting injury crisis. “It’s always a blow to lose a game, especially when it leads to going out of a competition, but it’s the same selection I did last season in these rounds,” Slot said. “There are many reasons why we’ve lost six out of seven, none of them are good enough to accept losing so many.”
Slot pointed to the recent example of Alexander Isak, who was injured after being deemed fit to play, as a cautionary tale. He also noted that in the previous round against Southampton, Giovanni Leoni was injured and Hugo Ekitiké picked up two yellow cards. With only 15 or 16 senior players available, he insisted the decision was correct.
The head coach acknowledged the pressure following the exit but maintained that his approach was justified. “I don’t think it’s possible that if you lose five out of six, that losing six out of seven there is even more pressure,” he said. “If you play for Liverpool or manage Liverpool you know the pressure is there. I don’t think it has changed much after this loss.”
Slot confirmed he hopes to have Ryan Gravenberch back from injury for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa, a match that could prove pivotal in stabilising Liverpool’s season.
