Injuries Disrupt Liverpool’s Rhythm
Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United at Anfield brought more than frustration on the pitch, it delivered another headache for Arne Slot. Ryan Gravenberch, only just back in the starting lineup alongside Alexis Mac Allister, was withdrawn early in the second half after twisting his ankle in a challenge with Bryan Mbeumo.
Gravenberch managed to walk off without assistance, however his discomfort was clear. With Wataru Endo already unavailable, Slot now stares at a midfield dilemma at the worst possible time.
Slot Gives Cautious Gravenberch Update
Speaking after the match, Slot admitted that the Dutchman is unlikely to feature in midweek.
“I took him off because he twisted his ankle,” Slot said. “Is he an injury concern? That’s what we have to wait and see tomorrow, but we have to play in two days again.
“We have to play three games in seven days, like we had to do after the last international break. There is not a lot of time for players to recover but the good thing is we have more than one good midfielder.”
Liverpool travel to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday and Slot will now be forced to reassess his setup, having switched to a more aggressive formation following Gravenberch’s exit, with Florian Wirtz and Curtis Jones asked to shoulder central duties.
Missed Chances Overshadow Refereeing Frustration
Mac Allister also suffered a head injury just before Mbeumo’s early opener. Referee Michael Oliver waved play on, drawing irritation from Slot, though he stopped short of blaming officiating for the defeat.
“We could have done much better after Macca was on the floor, we should have done better,” Slot said. “But the healthcare of a player is something that is important and if a player needs to have four stitches, you would hope that everybody understands that he needs immediate treatment.
“But it didn’t happen. But, again, we could have done better, so that’s not the reason why we lost this game today, the reason is because we missed far too many chances to win a game of football.”
Pressure Mounts on Slot’s Game Plan
The result marked Liverpool’s fourth straight home defeat to United, a sequence not seen since 2014. Criticism quickly followed, with some questioning Slot’s tactical approach, labelling it “indecipherable” as Ruben Amorim secured back-to-back league wins.
Liverpool now sit four points behind Arsenal and the narrative in some quarters suggests the title race has already slipped from their grasp. Whether fair or premature, Slot’s immediate focus will be ensuring Gravenberch recovers quickly, because without him his options tighten significantly.
