Arne Slot will hope to avoid biggest Liverpool problem last season to ensure success

Arne Slot will have plenty to contend with as he begins his Liverpool career but he won’t want a repeat of last season when it comes to injuries.

It’s hard enough having to follow Jurgen Klopp - one of the club’s greatest ever managers - without having to deal with several key players missing. That is what happened last season; Liverpool had the second most injuries last season with 21, with only Tottenham experiencing more.

It came at a time when Liverpool were gunning for the title, having topped the Premier League at Christmas. They lost key figures, including Mohamed Salah, which was difficult to manage as they competed across four competitions, as well as the EFL Cup final. Fortunately, a blossoming crop of youngsters helped to navigate those tricky waters, handled expertly by Klopp.

For Slot, all eyes will be on him as comparisons will naturally be drawn to Klopp. He will be hoping to avoid any injury woes that could make his life far more difficult. If there is a spell of players being unavailable, and results turn sour, he could feel the full heat of the English media which could add huge pressure. Although, Liverpool aren’t a club who panic and he will get time regardless of any issues like that.

As it stands, Slot has inherited a brilliant squad that boasts a strong mix of youth and experience and pre-season will be telling for whether the Dutchman trusts the several youngsters that enjoyed game time last season. The likes of Bobby Clark, Lewis Koumas, James McConnell, Tyler Morton, Trey Nyoni and Jayden Danns could exit on loans if there is deemed to be no room in the first-team squad. Competing in the Champions League once again will mean more games and the entirety of the squad will not only need to be utilised, but rotated at the right times.

But Slot has a pressing issue to deal with; a large majority of the key players won’t return until a week or two before the beginning of the season after their international commitments. According to Sports Scientist Simon Brundish, the first week that Slot will have all of his first teamers available will be a week before the start of the Premier League season. That is estimated to be around 12 potential training sessions, he wrote on X.

First up is a difficult away test at the newly-promoted Ipswich, who Slot will most likely face without a full strength side. Due to the international commitments of his key players, he will have to negotiate a tricky first few weeks of the league season and it will be interesting to see how he handles any injury woes which could determine the level of success he can achieve in his first season.