Arne Slot admits Liverpool are too reliant on Mohamed Salah but is confident the returning Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott would be adequate replacements should the Egyptian be struck down by injury.
Salah has scored 11 goals and added seven assists in 13 Premier League games this season, remarkable figures that have been instrumental in the Reds establishing a nine-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the table.
The former Roma forward missed six weeks at the start of 2024 with a hamstring injury sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations and while Slott is confident Liverpool could cope without him, he would prefer Salah to stay in shape.
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— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 3, 2024
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Newcastle, Slott said: “Is it a risk to put too much on him? A little, but only for the fact that it can. It happened to him last season that he can get injured as well and with Federico Chiesa having a difficult start at the club due to injuries, we don’t really have a replacement for Mo.
“The good thing is that Harvey Elliott is getting better again and he’s played that position a lot as well. I’m not afraid of Mo’s numbers going down at all. When it comes to an injury to him, then we are in a better position on the left end than on the right.
“Federico also trains with us. He’s coming back and Harvey’s coming back, but the best thing that can happen to us is that Mo stays in shape and continues to produce those numbers.”
The window opens in less than a month
If Liverpool have indeed decided to bolster their options on the right wing, then January represents their next opportunity.
The club has been relatively quiet over the summer, but Slot says he is continuing to scour the market for opportunities.
“We have conversations every day, whether there’s a window or not,” he said. “We always talk about the team, which players we like, which players are maybe not in the best position.
“From the beginning of the season, I was so very happy with the team. This does not mean that if there is an opportunity in the market, this club will not be seen. This club always looked like it was going to work.”
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— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 2, 2024
Gomez will continue tomorrow night
Joe Gomez will once again replace the injured Ibrahima Konate at St James’ Park tomorrow against a club he was heavily linked with in the summer.
Gomez impressed against Manchester City on Sunday and Slott is a fan of the 27-year-old Londoner.
“Everyone sees his quality but (his performance against City) shows his mentality. It’s not always easy to get into the game and play and do so well.
He is patient in a good way, he is always ready whenever the club or his teammates need him and that is special in terms of his mentality because not many players can do that for as many years as he has.
“Last season he played many, many, many games, you could call him a starter that season and, in some other seasons, he was more than second choice in any other position in the back line.
“For him to continue to do that, it probably tells you a lot about his mentality and what he does on a daily basis in training because he’s incredibly fit and ready to perform. This is more special than people think. That is certainly true.”
We’ve been here before – Slot
The slot man does not believe his players will be fazed by their advantage at the Premier League summit, given the experience they gained under predecessor Jurgen Klopp, who had Liverpool regularly challenging for the title.
He said: “This club, this team, these players are used to being top of the league or competing for every trophy and that helps. They also have that experience of fighting for a long time.
“They also know how to win the league against teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and City, because I see those three as our main competitors at the moment. Everyone knows that for nine to 10 months, we have to be at the top of our game.”
