Arne Slot is entering into unknown territory.
The Liverpool head coach is preparing for his first taste of English football’s notorious festive period, a sequence which traditionally feels anything but cheerful for people in his profession.
During his six seasons managing AZ Alkmaar and then Feyenoord back home in the Netherlands, Slot was used to a winter break over Christmas; now he is confronting a run of six games for Liverpool in 20 days, the first of which — the Champions League trip to Spain’s Girona on Tuesday — was negotiated safely. Then in January, the matches continue to pile up.
Injuries are already an issue: Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas, Diogo Jota, Tyler Morton and Federico Chiesa all missed Girona, where Slot travelled with just a 19-strong squad that included three goalkeepers as well as youngsters James McConnell, 20, and James Norris, 21.
Jota and Chiesa are expected back soon, which may lighten the load, but Slot will need his fringe players more than ever in the coming weeks if Liverpool are to sustain their challenge for silverware on multiple fronts.
Here’s a closer look at the players he will need to lean on.
Jarell Quansah
Premier League minutes played (not including stoppage time): 152
Can deputise for: Virgil van Dijk, Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez
This time last year, a 20-year-old Quansah had played himself into the Liverpool first team ahead of Konate. Fresh from a loan spell in League One with Bristol Rovers, the centre-back emerged as the club’s breakout star. By the end of the season, Quansah had made it into the provisional 33-man England squad and his future looked bright.
He started this first year under Slot in the team, but a poor first 45 minutes at Ipswich on the opening weekend led to his substitution for Konate and he has not won his place back since. His appearances have come at right-back or centre-back but, in the league at least, they have been irregular.
Slot likes to rotate at full-back during games as he believes those positions are the most physically demanding, so Quansah — who signed a new long-term contract in October — may be handed more opportunities in that unfamiliar role in the weeks ahead. The experience he gained last year will certainly help as he’ll be needed more often during this gruelling run of fixtures when the Liverpool back line is light on numbers.
Wataru Endo
Premier League minutes played: 20
Can deputise for: Ryan Gravenberch
The experienced Japan international is Liverpool’s only backup senior holding midfielder, which goes some way to explaining why Gravenberch has started every game in the Premier League and Champions League for Slot so far, and why the club rejected a €14million (£11.8m) offer for him from French side Marseille in July.
Endo is regularly called on as a “finisher” — a modern term in football for a substitute used to help close out the game — and has stepped up when needed. Think back to the win at Crystal Palace in October, where he was influential in the closing stages, or against Brighton a few weeks later when Liverpool turned to him after coming from a goal down to lead at Anfield.
He is Slot’s go-to guy for the final minutes of matches and his importance is likely to grow with so many fixtures coming.
Gravenberch hasn’t had many off days this season and did show signs of tiredness last week in the 3-3 draw at Newcastle United, and with fellow midfielder Alexis Mac Allister completing the second game of his suspension this weekend, the need for reinforcements is vital.
Harvey Elliott
Premier League minutes played: 8
Can deputise for: Mohamed Salah, Curtis Jones, Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai
Elliott returned to the squad at the end of last month after being out since September with a fractured foot and was handed an opportunity from the bench for the final 15 minutes or so against Girona. He is another player who brings versatility and fresh legs at a crucial time. On Tuesday, Elliott came on for Jones in an attacking midfield role but Slot knows he can also fill in for Salah if needed.
The 21-year-old remains one of the most exciting players in Liverpool’s squad and it feels like 2025 is going to be a big year for him if he stays fit. How he settles into this new-look, table-topping side will be interesting after speaking so positively about the early weeks under new coach Slot.
This period ahead is a perfect opportunity for him but it’s no secret that he wants more starts after picking up the “super sub” tag last season.
Federico Chiesa
Premier League minutes played: 18
Can deputise for: Salah, Darwin Nunez, Jota
Four months of frustration have left none of us any the wiser about Chiesa and whether he can have the desired impact on Liverpool’s first team.
Liverpool thought they were getting a bargain backup player when he joined from Italy’s Juventus for £10.1million, to be paid over four instalments, but injuries have so far stopped him from making much progress.
Having last made a senior appearance on September 25, when he started in the 5-1 win against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, Chiesa is slipping into “forgotten man” territory. His goal for the under-21s last week offered a boost but he didn’t make the squad for Girona due to illness and therefore continues to remain an unknown quantity.
Chiesa’s arrival was supposed to be an upgrade in the attacking department and allow young Ben Doak the opportunity to play regular games on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship.
He finished last season on a high as he helped Juventus win the Coppa Italia and scored in his final two games for the club. However, the European Championship felt like a wash-out as he struggled in an underperforming Italy team whose title defence ended with last-16 defeat by Switzerland.
Juventus were not interested in extending his contract, so they sanctioned the cut-price move to Liverpool. With so many months already gone to waste, the 27-year-old needs to make up for lost time.
Trey Nyoni
Premier League minutes played: 0
Can deputise for: Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai
Still only 17, but a player with so much potential. Nyoni is a regular in matchday squads and often travels to away games with the first team anyway even if he doesn’t make that 20-man group.
Liverpool are excited about his future but know they need to give him time. Although he trains with the seniors, he still plays for the under-21s as part of a hybrid development plan.
Relying on a teenager at such a tender age is not ideal but Slot has seen enough promising signs to suggest Nyoni he could fill a gap if required.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
