Arne Slot has confirmed Liverpool will field a makeshift defence in Wednesday's Champions League match against Qarabag, with only one recognised centre-back available. Virgil van Dijk is the sole fit senior centre-half after injuries to Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni, while Ibrahima Konate is also sidelined following the death of his father.
Slot said Gomez has no timescale for his return and is not available for tomorrow's match. He also expressed hope that Konate would be back soon, but not for this fixture. Wataru Endo is set to partner Van Dijk, with Slot admitting that someone who is not a centre-back will play alongside the Dutchman.
A win would guarantee Liverpool a place in the last 16 and avoid the play-offs. Slot noted that Van Dijk's ability to play 90 minutes should not be taken for granted.
On Andy Robertson, Slot said the left-back is part of the team for tomorrow and expected to stay this month. Robertson, who is in the last six months of his contract, had been linked with Tottenham, but the deal is off because Liverpool cannot recall Kostas Tsimikas from his loan at Roma.
Slot also discussed squad depth, saying he was unable to rotate as heavily as Qarabag's manager did at the weekend. He mentioned managing the workload of players like Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong, emphasising respect for the players who are constantly available.
