Slot Hits Out at Schedule Ahead of Bournemouth; Chiesa Doubtful

Arne Slot met with the media ahead of the Bournemouth match and discussed the quick turnaround since Marseille, the improvement of young players and his confidence in the club going forward.

A Quick Turnaround

Liverpool only have about 48 hours of rest between Marseille and Bournemouth, and Slot says that the short window will impact his lineup selection vs the Cherries.

“I think we are the only team playing in Europe that has to play on Wednesday and then again on Saturday,” he said. “That gives us only two days to recover.  We had a recovery day yesterday  (Thursday), and after training today (Friday), I will decide on a lineup. We are excited about the chance to go there to Bournemouth, but we also know it will be a very difficult, intense game.”

Making Progress

Liverpool opened the season with a 4-2 win vs Bournemouth at Anfield, and Slot assessed how the club has improved and changed since Matchday 1.

“In terms of playing style, we are not too different,” he said. “We have had many good performances which don't always come to light if you lose too many games, as it looks not a lot we do is positive. We've had quite a lot of good individual performances. Flo (Wirtz) was close to goals and assists, and even no,w when he's getting them, he can almost double them with the chances he's getting and created. We've had to keep adapting so many times this season, we have to try to find a new way of getting the best out of the team, and sometimes that works better than others. We are already in a good place, but this team will be in a good place the day after  tomorrow and after that.”

Growing Confidence 

With that improved play, Slot says the Reds are in a good place.

“I'm very confident. We are in a very good place. But sometimes in football, you can pick up injuries from nowhere. I didn't expect not to have Leoni, Isak and Bradley not available for such a long time. We have shown if we have players fit, we are very competitive against any team. There is a lot of confidence from me looking to the future.”

Team News

The only fresh injury concern is Federico Chiesa, who suffered a knock in training before the Marseille match.

“Federico wasn't able to be on the bench on Wednesday,” Slot said. “There was a recovery session yesterday, difficult to say if he's available for Bournemouth. Maybe 50-50. Nobody picked up a knock or problem after the game, so I expect all same players to be available, and Calvin Ramsay is available after not being available for the Champions League.”

LFC Globe Verdict

Despite some less-than-desirable results this season, Arne Slot chose to focus on the improvement of the club and the players throughout the year. The Marseille match was indeed one of the best of the campaign, along with Arsenal's 13-match unbeaten run. The Reds have also tightened up defensively with three clean sheets in the last six matches. With young players continuing to round into form and Mo Salah back in the squad, the future looks bright.

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