Slot hopeful over Gravenberch injury
Injuries disrupt Liverpool’s rhythm
Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Anfield brought more than frustration on the pitch, it caused another headache for Arne Slot. Ryan Gravenberch, just back in the starting lineup alongside Alexis Mac Allister, was taken off early in the second half after twisting his ankle during a challenge with Bryan Mbeumo.
Gravenberch managed to escape without help, but his discomfort was evident. With Wataru Endo already unavailable, Slot now finds himself faced with a midfield dilemma at the worst possible time.
Slot gives cautious update on Gravenberch
Speaking after the match, Slot admitted the Dutchman was unlikely to feature in midweek.
“I took him off because he twisted his ankle,” Slot said. “Is he injured? That’s what we have to wait and see tomorrow, but we have to play again in two days.
“We have to play three games in seven days, as we had to do after the last international break. The players don’t have much time to recover but the good thing is 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 reassess his setup, having moved to a more aggressive formation following Gravenberch’s exit, with Florian Wirtz and Curtis Jones asked to take on central duties.
Missed opportunities overshadow refereeing frustration
Mac Allister also suffered a head injury just before Mbeumo’s opener. Referee Michael Oliver waved play on, sparking Slot’s irritation, although he did not blame the officiating for the defeat.
“We could have done a lot better after Macca was on the field, we should have done better,” Slot said. “But a player’s health care is something important and if a player needs four stitches, we hope everyone understands that he needs immediate treatment.
“But that didn’t happen. But again, we could have done better, so that’s not the reason we lost this game today, the reason is we missed way too many chances to win a football game.”
Pressure mounts on slot machine game plan
The result marked Liverpool’s fourth consecutive home defeat against United, a streak not seen since 2014. Criticism quickly followed, with some questioning Slot’s tactical approach, calling it “unfathomable” as Ruben Amorim made it back to back-to-back league victories.
Liverpool are now four points behind Arsenal and the narrative from some quarters suggests the title race has already slipped away from them. Whether fair or premature, Slot’s immediate priority will be to ensure Gravenberch recovers quickly, because without him his options narrow considerably.
