By Carl Markham, PA
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admits he has broken with his usual preparation methods by planning for two matches at the same time after naming a weakened squad against PSV Eindhoven.
His Champions League leaders, the only team to win all seven matches, are guaranteed to finish no lower than second and having assessed the potential implications for the last 16 he decided the return to his homeland was a game he could gamble on.
Saturday’s trip to high-flying Bournemouth is the most significant fixture this week as Liverpool look to maintain their six-point lead at the top and for that reason he has left nine of the team who beat Ipswich 4-1 at home.
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz have all been given Wednesday off in order to have some much-needed downtime, with this the eight game of nine in 27 days.
Defender Joe Gomez has also remained at home after returning to training having missed seven matches with a hamstring injury.
Slot was asked if he was scared at the prospect of facing the Dutch champions and current Eredivisie leaders without most of his major stars.
“I wouldn’t say I’m scared. It took me while to understand this new format but I am 100 per cent sure it doesn’t matter at all if we end up one or two; the result has no importance,” he said.
“We play PSV and then Bournemouth and then Tottenham (in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final).
“All the ones who I left behind could have played tomorrow but if you look back at our season almost every three, four or five weeks we gave them a break if there was a moment to give them some freshness back.
“They will be off tomorrow, if it is possible we prefer to have them off three days before a game but it is not always possible, and a few staff members will go home earlier on Thursday morning to train those that have stayed behind.”
Among the squad of 21 Slot has named are academy players Jayden Danns and Trey Nyoni, both of whom have made first-team appearances this season, Kieran Morrison, Isaac Mabaya, Trent Kone-Doherty, Amara Nallo, James Norris and James McConnell.
It leaves senior players Andy Robertson, Wataru Endo, Kostas Tsimikas, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa, former PSV forward Cody Gakpo and 21-year-olds Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah bearing the responsibility.
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