Our defensive options will be stretched even further when we play Qarabag on Wednesday night, with the head coach today confirming<\/a> that Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate won\u2019t be involved due to injury and compassionate leave respectively.<\/p>\n Slot asks for understanding regarding squad rotation<\/p>\n Ahead of Liverpool\u2019s eighth match in 28 days \u2013 with one more to follow against Newcastle on Saturday to close out January \u2013 Slot asked for the Reds\u2019 critics to be more understanding of his need to manage players\u2019 workloads with so many injuries affecting his squad.<\/p>\n The 47-year-old told the press this afternoon (via\u00a0Liverpool Echo<\/a>):\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not a worry that I have a small squad, but it\u2019s a difficulty. It\u2019s almost constantly the same players who have to play. When we lose, we get scrutinised and get criticism we deserve. They are constantly available apart from the three [long-term injuries].\u201d<\/p>\n Slot also admitted to defying advice from medical staff about players\u2019 minutes, citing one instance where his stance was ultimately vindicated.<\/p>\n He said:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s very hard to balance that, especially with the problems with long-term injuries\u2026 There has been a situation where a player was on the pitch and was involved in a goal at the end of the game when really he should have been taken off.<\/p>\n \u201cIf people knew the struggles we were coping with, they\u2019d be more understandable of the decisions we have to make.\u201d<\/p>\n Liverpool should still be doing better despite unrelenting schedule<\/p>\n Liverpool\u2019s fixture calendar has been relentless throughout January, and Slot certainly hasn\u2019t been helped by having to cope with so many injuries, especially in defence \u2013 Wataru Endo is set to deputise as an emergency centre-back<\/a> against Qarabag on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, the Dutchman would probably be getting far more sympathy from outside the club if his team\u2019s results weren\u2019t so underwhelming this season. Even when taking all the absences into account, the Reds have had strong enough line-ups to be doing a whole lot better than they are.<\/p>\n Aside from the back four, there may be rotation elsewhere for tomorrow\u2019s match with one eye on the Newcastle game on Saturday, where LFC\u2019s need for a win is more pressing due to their ailing Premier League form.<\/p>\n![\"Arne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ekitike-training.jpg\")
(Photo by Jan Kruger\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n