Arne Slot Press Conference: Wolves - PL (A)

By Steven Northover

Arne Slot took to media duties this morning, with a pre-Wolves press conference at the Axa. 

The standout news is that Florian Wirtz, who missed the win against West Ham after pulling in the warm-up against Nottingham Forest in the game prior, will likely miss the next two games.

Wirtz Absence Continues

"The game tomorrow will probably come too soon, and maybe the game at the weekend as well. 

But let's see how it all ends up. We hope to have him back sometime next week, maybe a bit earlier or a bit later, but that is the timescale.”

Credit: FourFourTwo

The blow to Wirtz is lessened somewhat by the return of Jeremie Frimpong, who came on against the Hammers, and should allow Dominik Szoboszlai to cover for the 22-year-old German. 

Elsewhere the Dutchman made comments on Liverpool's current form. The Reds are currently on a three game unbeaten run, and have only lost twice in the last ten games, propelling them back into Champions League contention, especially after Chelsea's lost to champions-elect Arsenal yesterday, however Slot would not be drawn on the idea that Wolves would be an ‘easy’ match.

Credit: Liverpool.com

“They (Wolves) have shown recently that they are getting much better at getting the results they deserve…They are a competitive team, and recently have picked points, including a win against Villa. So we know we're going to face a difficult game tomorrow.” 

Set Pieces: The New 'Liverpool Way'

Meanwhile, Slot was asked about the rise in set piece goals in the Premier League this season, with the manager answering: 

"Do I like it? My football heart doesn't like it. 

"When I think about football, I think about the Barcelona team 10-15 years ago. Now it is not as much a joy to watch but it is always competitive.”

Fitness Updates & Rotating

Credit: Rousing The Kop

Slot also emphasized the importance of players teaming fit, especially at Right Back, of the club are to have a successful end to the season. With Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley out with injuries in recent weeks, Liverpool have been restricted to playing players out of position - notably, Dominik Szoboszlai. However, with Wirtz now out for another week, the Hungarian will be needed in his preferred midfield role. 

“I prefer to have him (Frimpong) in the squad and have to manage his minutes, rather than seeing him the with Physio.”

When asked about Cody Gakpo’s first goal of the year against West Ham, Slot also highlighted the importance of a player's overall performance for the success of the team, stating:

“I don't just judge a player on the goals they score, I judge strikers on their defence abilities and my defenders on how they create chances for the other players. But I'm really happy for him (Gakpo) to score, because I think he needed that goal.”

Liverpool play Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium tomorrow, kick-off at 20:15, knowing a victory could see them leapfrog both Aston Villa and Manchester United into 3rd.