Arne Slot is ready to embrace the challenge of squad rotation as the Liverpool manager steels himself for the dual demands of the Premier League and Champions League.

Slot’s side host Nottingham Forest on Saturday in the first of seven matches in 22 days before travelling to AC Milan for their Champions League opener on Tuesday.

The Dutchman made just one change to his starting line-up during the first three games of his reign after succeeding Jurgen Klopp in the close-season.

During his time as Feyenoord boss, Slot resisted the temptation to make changes as he preferred a settled team.

But he did not have the depth of resources he now has at Anfield and is willing to change his philosophy heading into Liverpool’s hectic schedule.

“My former teams we were able to actually play almost every game with the same players but it is a different league so I might have to adjust to that, but it also depends on what they show in terms of physique,” Slot told reporters on Friday.

“In the first three games we were really strong in terms of physique but we only played one game every seven days. Now they have a point to prove.

“I assume they all want to play every game, so if they want to they have to show up every time in terms of quality and especially work-rate.

“We have more than 11 very good players so I can use more.”

Slot is already without one option to use in his rotation after Harvey Elliott suffered a fractured foot on England Under-21 duty recently.

“If he had stayed fit he would have had a lot of playing time in the upcoming fixtures, but now it gives a chance to someone else,” Slot said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *