Injuries disrupt Liverpool's rhythm
Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Anfield brought more than disappointment on the pitch, it caused another headache for Arne Slote. Ryan Gravenberch, who had just returned to the starting lineup alongside Alexis Mac Allister, was withdrawn early in the second half after spraining his ankle in a challenge with Brian Mbeumo.
Gravenberch managed to walk away without assistance, but his discomfort was obvious. With Wataru Endo no longer available, Slot now faces a midfield dilemma at the worst possible time.
Slot gives discreet upgrade to Gravenberch
Speaking after the match, Slot admitted the Dutchman was unlikely to feature in midweek.
“I took him off because he sprained his ankle,” Slot said. “Does he have any injury problems? That's something we'll have to wait and see tomorrow, but we'll have to play again in two days.”
“We have to play three games in seven days, just like after the last international break. The players don't have much time to recover, but it's good that we have more than one good midfielder.”
Liverpool travel to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday and Slot will now be forced to reconsider his formation, moving to a more aggressive formation following the departure of Gravenberch, with Florian Wirtz and Curtis Jones asked to take over central duties.
Missed chances overshadow refereeing disappointment
Mac Allister also suffered a head injury shortly before Mbeumo's first match. Referee Michael Oliver waved his hand to continue play, irritating Slott, although he did not blame the refereeing for the defeat.
“We could have done a lot better after Macca was on the floor, we should have done better,” Slot said. “But a player's health is very important and if a player needs four stitches, you would hope that everyone would understand that he needs immediate treatment.
“But that didn't happen. But again, we could have played better, so that's not the reason we lost the game today, it's because we missed too many chances to win the football game.”
Pressure on slot game plan increases
The result marked Liverpool's fourth home defeat to United in a row, a feat not seen since 2014. Criticism soon followed, with some questioning Slot's tactical approach, calling it “indiscriminate” as Ruben Amorim achieved back-to-back league wins.
Liverpool currently trail Arsenal by four points and some suggest the title challenge has already slipped through their grasp. Fair or premature, Sloth's first priority will be to ensure the rapid restoration of Gravenberch, because without it his options will be significantly reduced.
