Arne Slot has confirmed that several of Liverpool’s biggest names will sit out Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Southampton, as the Dutchman underlined the importance of squad depth during a congested run of fixtures.
Speaking via liverpoolfc.com after the derby win over Everton, Slot revealed that Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Mo Salah, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai will not be involved midweek.
“This is also the reason why teams like us, Chelsea, all the ones that are playing in Europe need a squad like this, because you need to play so many games,” Slot explained. “Again, it’s not an excuse, we have to accept it as it is, but we have had some issues… The good thing is I do have the options to rotate throughout the week.”
That depth was evident against Everton, where Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak both began on the bench despite their combined £241m price tag. In their absence, Gravenberch and summer signing Hugo Ekitike stepped up with a goal each, earning praise from their manager.
Isak’s return from injury is being carefully managed by Liverpool’s medical team following his British-record move. Slot was clear about his intentions for Southampton: “I can tell you now you won’t be seeing them on Tuesday. If that’s any help for Southampton then they will know.”
With Van Dijk, Konaté, Salah, Gravenberch, and Szoboszlai confirmed out, the Carabao Cup clash is expected to provide valuable opportunities for fringe players, recent signings, and academy prospects. Liverpool supporters will be hoping the rotation policy strikes the right balance — keeping the squad fresh for the league while maintaining momentum in the cup.
