Arne Slot has explained why Wataru Endo is likely to remain on the bench at West Ham United, where Liverpool could welcome back three key players
Arne Slot gives instructions to Wataru Endo of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup match at Anfield on October 29(Image: Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Arne Slot has explained his decision to continue overlooking Wataru Endo from the Liverpool starting line-up despite the Japan international being the only traditional defensive midfielder in his squad. Endo has been restricted to just 36 minutes of action across four substitute appearances in the Premier League this season with his only starts coming in the League Cup.
With Liverpool’s porous midfield contributing to the concession of 10 goals in the last three games, there have been calls from supporters for Endo to feature more prominently having made just one brief top-flight outing since August.
But Slot believes the form of Ryan Gravenberch means there has been no urge yet to turn to the 32-year-old.
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When quizzed about the lack of opportunities for Endo, Slot said: “I prefer not to talk about individuals but since you ask, he is in the position Ryan is in. Ryan is not performing the worst from all of our players.
“That is Ryan’s best position and the same as Wata. When I used him as a right-back against Bournemouth I got criticised, I got told I got criticised.
“Ryan is one of the few who has been fit throughout the whole season. That is the answer.”
Joe Gomez is another player who has barely featured this season, despite being able to offer cover at both centre-back and right-back – two positions where Liverpool have been hit by injury absences.
Slot chose not to risk Gomez from the bench over the last week after the defender had an injection in his knee, although the 28-year-old is a strong contender to start at the London Stadium this weekend.
But the Reds boss said: “I think we have played a lot of different line-ups for reasons I prefer not to do because everyone was not available.
“We have used our whole squad constantly without Wata and Joe.”
Florian Wirtz could be in the squad having missed the last two games with a muscle problem, while Alisson Becker is back following illness and Hugo Ekitike is expected to be available after being forced off against PSV Eindhoven in midweek with a back spasm.
Andy Robertson, Federico Chiesa, Alexander Isak and Rio Ngumoha are all pressing for a start, but defenders Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni remain out.
“Now is a new experience,” said Slot, regarding Liverpool’s poor run of nine defeats in 12 games.
“I always find it hard to learn from things, this must not sound wrong, but next time there will be different players or clubs involved. I never think, ‘Oh three years ago I lost one game and did that meeting and used that tactic so let me use this again now…’.
“That is not how it works. There are so many things that go into it. There is no specific thing I would do differently in a few years.
“Because I don’t know which team I have to work with. It is clear and obvious that not all the decisions we made were excellent. Maybe to start with, not playing Wata…!”