Slot to rest key Liverpool trio after hectic week
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch are set to be absent for Liverpool’s EFL Cup tie against Southampton.
Arne Slot has confirmed that he will make some key changes to his Liverpool side that will face Southampton in the EFL Cup, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk both set to be rested.
The Reds welcome the Saints to Anfield on Tuesday as they look to reach the fourth round of the EFL Cup for the seventh consecutive season, last failing to do so in 2018 when they lost to Chelsea.
Liverpool also knocked out Southampton at the quarter-final stage of the competition last season, but the Saints lost to the same club in back-to-back editions.
Southampton are aiming to reach the fourth round for the fourth time in the last five seasons, while the Saints have progressed from each of their last four third-round ties against Premier League opposition, beating Everton on penalties at the same stage last season.
However, Liverpool enjoy facing Southampton at Anfield, winning each of their last eight home games in this fixture by an aggregate score of 25-2.
After their win in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, Slot stated that he will be rotating his side to make sure players are not overplayed.
“The ones that played three times 90 [minutes] are Virgil [Van Dijk], Ibou [Ibrahima Konate], Mo [Salah], Ryan [Gravenberch] and Dom [Dominik Szoboszlai] – the ones that are used to this intensity and this level. And again, they showed up really good,” said Slot, referring to those players featuring in each of Liverpool's games against Burnley, Atletico Madrid and Everton.
“I can tell you now you won’t be seeing them on Tuesday. If that’s any help for Southampton, then they already know.
“This is why the teams that are playing in Europe need a [big] squad like this because you need to play so many games.
“It’s not an excuse and we have to accept it as it is. But we have had some issues with Alexander Isak not training for four months, [Alexis] Mac Allister missing a lot. I could go on and on.
“But the good thing is that I have the options to rotate throughout the week.”
Tuesday's clash could well be an ideal opportunity for British-record signing Isak to make his second start for Liverpool.
The Sweden international played from the start against Atletico, but was used off the bench against Everton.
