Arne Slot gives Dominik Szoboszlai update as Liverpool line-up for Tottenham explained
Dominik Szoboszlai missed Liverpool's draw with Manchester United due to illness
Dominik Szoboszlai remains a doubt for Liverpool’s League Cup semi-final first leg clash with Tottenham Hotspur. The Hungarian missed the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Manchester United through illness.
The midfielder is yet to return to training at the AXA Training Centre. And Arne Slot confirmed that the 24-year-old is unlikely to be fit enough to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium even if he was declared available for the game as a result.
“Yesterday he wasn’t in yet but if he is in today, I would doubt he is available to start the game,” the Dutchman admitted. “But hopefully he is in today, but yesterday he wasn’t.”
Slot was giving little else away about his Reds line up ahead of facing Tottenham, avoiding the opportunity to confirm whether Caoimhin Kelleher would return in goal despite the League Cup being ‘his competition’ under predecessor Jurgen Klopp.
While the Dutchman hinted he could make changes in the capital, confirming he has an idea of the side he intends to select, he suggested that his line up would at least be stronger than the much-changed side that faced Southampton in the quarter-finals.
“I think if you look at all the fixtures we have had this season, there are so many things going into a line-up,” he said. “Short term, long term, qualities of the opponents, where are my players, so it will always be a decision made about, in our opinion, the best line-up for tomorrow.
“In some situations, for Southampton away or other games, in my opinion the best line up was the ones that didn’t start a lot. Let’s see what that is tomorrow for the game we play against Tottenham.
“I didn’t say that for tomorrow the players will play that haven't played much. I said there are many considerations before you make a line up but there are many other things going into a line up as well.
“So we might play a few players that haven’t played all the games and we might play a few players that have played all the games.
“I can tell you now it is the first time we train again after Sunday. Yesterday the players were not off but they did recovery so let’s see how they came out of the game and then we will make the line up for tomorrow.”
He continued: "I think I have decided the whole line up already. In many ways people have tried to get to know what the line up is. There are many things going into a line up and that is the same for tomorrow again.
“You will find out tomorrow what arguments there are. If they ask me before the game and after the game, I am always more than happy to answer those questions.
“But first of all I think the players should know how we’re going to play. And if all of them are available, that is something we also have to find out.”