'Maybe' - Arne Slot suggests he could copy Jurgen Klopp tactic amid Liverpool crisis

Arne Slot has backed Jarell Quansah to step up to the fore for Liverpool.

Quansah is in line to start for the Reds as they aim to defend the Carabao Cup against Newcastle United at Wembley. Liverpool have a crisis at right-back, with their three options all sidelined. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out after suffering an ankle injury in the Champions League penalty shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile, deputy Conor Bradley is unavailable with a hamstring injury and the versatile defender Joe Gomez had surgery for a hamstring issue last month. As a result, Quansah looks likely to operate as a makeshift full-back.

It’s a position that the 22-year-old - called into the Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad - has operated in this season. He’s played in the role seven times, including a 3-3 draw against Newcastle at St James’ Park.

What’s been said

"It says a lot about his mentality," Slot said at his pre-match press conference. "Last season I think everybody saw what a talent he is. Then this season started with him starting and I changed him as we all know against Ipswich.

"Ibou [Konate] and Virgil [van Dijk] were and are such a strong combination that he didn't play a lot. But every time he had to play, except for maybe the first one or two games, but afterwards he had to play you could see that maybe he is no longer a talent because as a talent you don't have any setbacks, but the moment you get setbacks it's about you and how you react.

"I think he showed in his recent performances that he's outgrown being called a talent. That's probably what Thomas Tuchel saw and sees as well by giving him a call-up. He did really well the last few times he had to play for us and even in a position he's not completely used to as a right full-back.

"But in my opinion, he has also the qualities to play in that position. He's strong, he's fast, he's very comfortable with the ball and it gives us an extra quality if we play him, which we saw [against Paris Saint-Germain], in terms of set-pieces because he was the one that was this far away from us qualifying for the next round by heading the ball onto the post, because that one was not offside. He showed mentality and that he had quality. That's already what we knew when we saw him playing last season."

Other options

Slot did, however, discuss other options he could go with at right-back. He did suggest that midfielder Curtis Jones would be capable of playing in the rearguard. Jones was deployed as a full-back by former manager Jurgen Klopp in a 3-1 win over Leicester City on the road to winning last year’s Carabao Cup.

Left-backs Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas have also been mooted as playing on the opposite flank. Slot added: “I think maybe even Curtis could play there or you could also play with a left-footed defender on the right side, which is what Newcastle are doing but on the opposite side.”