Arne Slot faces his first competitive test as Liverpool manager with a nearly full squad at his disposal, as the team prepares to face newly-promoted Ipswich Town. The Reds kick off their Premier League campaign at Portman Road on Saturday, and Slot will be pleased with the positive injury situation heading into the match.
Slot, known for his success at Feyenoord in keeping his players fit and ready, has carried that same approach into Liverpool. The pre-season included six friendlies, one of which was a behind-closed-doors match against Preston at the AXA Training Centre. This thorough preparation has paid off, with only a couple of absentees ahead of the Ipswich clash.
Jayden Danns is sidelined with a back issue, and Bobby Clark is unavailable due to an imminent transfer to Salzburg. However, neither player was expected to feature prominently, as Slot has been focused on working with a fully fit senior squad. Young talents like Ben Doak, Owen Beck, Harvey Blair, and Kaide Gordon have returned to the U21s after spending much of the pre-season with the first team.
On Thursday, Slot addressed both the first team and U21 squads together at the AXA Training Centre before they split into their respective groups. Only Harvey Davies and Trey Nyoni remained with the first team, emphasizing Slot’s commitment to integrating academy players selectively.
With 28 players in training but only 20 spots available for the matchday squad, Slot will have to make some tough decisions. Davies is expected to be among those left out, along with Vitezslav Jaros, Nat Phillips, Sepp van den Berg, Tyler Morton, and Stefan Bajcetic.
As for the starting lineup, it is likely to reflect the patterns seen during pre-season. Ryan Gravenberch is expected to start in the No. 6 role, while Kostas Tsimikas and Jarell Quansah may be preferred over Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate in defense. In attack, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are likely to join Mohamed Salah, with Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez still working their way back to full fitness.
As the season progresses, Slot’s selections may evolve, but for now, the focus will be on starting strong and avoiding any major injuries.
