Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has responded to claims that his side has been “lucky” with injuries this season, insisting that it is not all down to good fortune.
With several key man having been sidelined at various points of the season, it is also untrue to claim that Liverpool has not had any absences. It has, however, had far fewer than Premier League title rival Arsenal.
“If you think injuries are only a part of luck or bad luck then we have been lucky,” Slot said during his pre-Southampton press conference. “But we believe in the fact that we have tried to prevent them in a certain way of working.
“That we don’t have many injuries, I don’t see that as luck. I see that first of all as our players are professionals and try to stay fit, and also great facilities and staff. You have to see this over a long period of time to see if this is good luck.
“If we can continue doing this for years without many big injuries then it is probably also quality — although you can’t go through a season in the Premier League, in the Champions League, and all the cups we play in this country, without injuries.
“Diogo Jota has been out for three or four months without a start, Alisson Becker was out for weeks or maybe even months, Trent has been out, Conor Bradley… Joe Gomez is out now for months. So we also have our injuries.
(Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“It is more the amount of injuries you hopefully try to prevent. It could be luck but I hope that we do things in the right way so it is not only luck.”
Liverpool.com says: The Reds have a roster of players deeper than anyone else in the Premier League and that plays a big part too. If you can rotate more frequently, then that will avoid burnout.
Compared to the style that Jurgen Klopp used at Anfield, Slot’s soccer is slower and less intense too. That will play a role, as will the fact that Liverpool has usually been leading in games and therefore able to close them down while conserving energy.
Arsenal has struggled with injuries but Mikel Arteta played almost the same starting XI for two years in a row prior to this season. Setbacks for Bukayo Saka and co cannot be a complete surprise. As Slot says, it isn’t just about being lucky.
