Arne Slot has said he will rotate his Liverpool squad for the final four matches of the Premier League season, with the title already sewn up.
The Dutchman has tended to start a smaller group of players in the league this term, with only 12 outfield players registered double figures for starts. Watru Endo, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa haven’t started a single match this term, Jarell Quansah just two and Darwin Nunez just one since the start of the season.
But that is likely to change between now and the end of the campaign, with matches upcoming against Chelsea, Arsenal Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace.
“We are going into these four games trying to win them all, of course,” Slot said on Friday. “That’s what what every player who wears the Liverpool shirt should aim for. I would judge us more on the amount of points now compared to teams that won it in the past, four games before the end. There is definitely a difference if now we are still competing.
“My lineups will be different from what we’ve had mostly during the last 10 months. We’re not going to change everyone but there will be some players that come into the team. There will be a certain rotation in the upcoming games.
“That’s not to say we are going to lose them, we have a lot of trust in the players who are going to play now, but it would be more honest to judge us on the points total we have now to the ones in the past where they still had to fight.”
Asked if he is now thinking more towards next season, Slot replied: “This season as well. I think some of them deserved to play earlier because this season because they have trained so well and are good enough to play for this club. But I mainly chose the same players.
“I think this is also a moment to see where they, also looking towards next season a bit already, but also because they deserve to play this season.”
Several Reds could be playing for their futures with a busy summer of outgoings expected at Liverpool, however, Slot said he will not glean anything from the final four matches of the campaign.
“Nothing to prove to me because I see them playing for us, Federico in the past at other clubs but they want to prove to themselves they are good enough to play for us.
“They know this as well so no, I don’t think they have a point to prove but they would like to play. But it is not that everyone who hasn’t played will play now.
I did that at Plymouth and got criticism. That is also not an honest chance, so we will mix it up but it won’t be four games with same lineup as Tottenham.”
