Arne Slot press conference LIVE – Alexander Isak fitness update, Liverpool injury boost for Everton

Live updates from Liverpool head Arne Slot’s press conference to preview the Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield on Saturday

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Arne Slot will speak to the media today to preview the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield

Arne Slot will speak to the media today to preview the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield

Welcome to our live coverage of Arne Slot’s press conference to preview Liverpool’s Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield on Saturday. The Reds head coach will be with us from 12pm.

And he should be in a great mood after his side continued their late heroics with an injury-time 3-2 victory at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

That ensured Liverpool made the perfect start to their Champions League campaign. But it’s back to business in the Premier League this weekend as the leaders host their neighbours.

The Reds will be confident after winning their opening four games of the season but they will be coming up against an Everton side who have enjoyed a promising start themselves.

Slot will be quizzed on injury news, including the latest on midfielder Curtis Jones, and whether £125m British transfer record signing Alexander Isak will be fit to start a second match in succession.

Paul Gorst will be at the AXA Training Centre to bring you updates from the press conference.

He is back in the fray! In the squad, I would say.”

I think everyone in football is fixed on results. So if we don’t get them maybe someone else is sitting here! It does help that if you still win games that you can also point out things to improve, that works better than when you lose many games and you tell them what to improve. If you lose games then you try to talk up the positives but if you lose games, you definitely say what you have to improve.”

Slot on losing two-goal leads

We have only played 5, so it is difficult to see a long-term pattern. We have done it against Bournemouth, we were too open and we missed Ryan Gravenberch, we concede two counter goals, Atletico didn’t, so you cannot compare. So it is not ideal if we have two-goal leads and we lose them, so we need to improve, as many othet things. But the good thing is if we have the urgency again we can score. You can run out of steam or energy at the end of the season if you mentally and physically have yo go all the way to the end all the time in games, so it is good but it is never ideal to do it all the time.

“We got criticised at 2-0 v Bournemouth, we still attacked a lot, so we don’t back off or go slower and that is why we always play at 8 or 9 for the Champions League because everyone wants to see Liverpool, we always keep going. It was the same v Atletico, created so many chances compared to other games, we weren’t trying to keep the lead, we wanted 3-0 or 3-1. Maybe we should be more composed or calm but I like the mentality we have.”

For me when you are a great player you still contribute to the team even when you don’t play. Not a lot of them can contribute to the team with goals and assists when they don’t play, that is what stands out for Mo, especially as a winger. It is so difficult to always be the player he was against Atletico but he still has goals and assists and that is why he is still so highly regarded and respected. A lot of players play well when the team is and not a lot can score or assist when they don’t. But I prefer to see him how he was against Atletico. Newcastle, hardly ever in play with the ball, so it was tough but Atletico was a joy to watch.”

I have experienced the away game as something different in all other aways but Newcastle away felt similar to Everton away so it is not the first time these players have played this type of game. A lot rivarly, intensity and tackles being made. Focus is on the rivalry but also what we need to do to win, intense, winning duels but also playing on the ball and it is difficult, they have many good players. Not sure exactly what they will do, maybe long balls but also playing out from the back, they have some talented players who can do both styles. Maybe Virgil or Mo can tell the new players what to expect but it is not that these players are new and haven’t played these types of games before. It is special but not miles off other special games they have played.”

I’ve not seen [the build up in the city] because we had a big, special game on Weds. We wwent home, recovery, watched some CL games, so you don’t feel this because you don’t come into the city and we know how special this is and when we arrive on the bus that is when you truly feel what it means to the fans.”

It differed to other derby days, what I like so much in England, no matter how much the rivalry is there with Everton, Newcastle, Man Utd,…the fans can be together, the 10 LFC shirts were standing with Newcastle fans I saw, which is impossible in Holland. I hope we can keep this here, the fans are so passionate but they respect each other as well. Ajax v Feyenoord, away fans are not allowed anyway. It makes it much nicer if both fans are there.”

They had a good spell when we faced them last season, made some good signings, one of them is Jack Grealish on loan who was worth £100m, he is doing so well. So a good team and there is rivalry but what I also liked…what they did when Diogo passed away, coming to Anfield. Their captain and of course they showed their respect, sports director to sports director, so it is nice to see this respect after such tragedies. So we are looking forward to this game, every Anfield game is special but this derby is more special.”

I consider [playing both together] because you consider many things, if both in best form of their life you consider it but also clear we have a 4-3-3 structure and in the end phase we have played with two 9s. Hugo can play off the left, it’s a good thing about our squad, we have mutliple options and if some aren’t fit we can use them in a 4-4-2, that depends on form and fitness. Maybe all are fit now, I can choose between 21 players, that is quite normal.”

I don’t think I will tell the media a lot the day before the game how we start. Recovery y’day and we train this afternoon, so it is how we all feel. Alex felt his body more than ever before his hour, so let’s see how he has recovered today and we will think about the lineup.

“The change of routine has to do with the early kick off, so we gave them a bit of extra time to recover and a lot of that is sleep, as we all know. We had to play 3 games in a week which we have to do a lot but not many times in six days. Sunday, Weds, Sat is not a schedule you see a lot.”

Arne has been a bit late in the recent press conferences, so we might just be waiting a little past midday before the head coach arrives.

Updates on the fitness of Curtis Jones to come alongside plenty of other musings

It is still just about morning, technically, so I hope you’ve all had a good one so far.

I’m here at the AXA Training Centre for Arne Slot’s latest press conference, this time to preview Saturday afternoon’s visit from Everton.

The first Merseyside derby of the season it is. Always an occasion to be relished. Or endured.