Arne Slot already knows midfielder got Liverpool transfer decision right after injury complaint

Liverpool fans who were worried about a lack of action after the summer transfer window closed have had plenty to keep them occupied in the following six weeks .

The ongoing contract stalemate involving Trent Alexander-Arnold , Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk has provided much food for thought, while the early months under Arne Slot have already sparked rumors of imminent departures from the squad.

Wataru Endo is the player most widely tipped to be next out the door, given his fall down the pecking order at Anfield this season. After being a regular for much of the final two-thirds of the previous campaign following his unexpected arrival from Stuttgart last summer, the Japan international has been limited to barely 90 minutes this season with just one start in the League Cup.

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However, when recently asked about his future at Liverpool, Endo didn't sound like a player planning on leaving anytime soon. "A club like Liverpool needs the depth of the squad," he said.

"I have no idea what people are saying about me, but my plan is staying here."

And while the 31-year-old hasn't so far benefited from the need for a deep squad, that could soon change. And Slot knows it.

Liverpool's head coach commented last month: "It's going to be a long season where you need a lot of players, so if you need a lot of players they also need, once in a while, some playing time. So we are aware of that and that's also what we take into account when we make a line-up, but it's not the only thing I take into account."

Despite this, Slot has largely stuck with his starting XI in the Premier League this season. Injuries have forced a change in goalkeeper, but there has been only one switch at center-back in the first seven matches, none at right-back, and Curtis Jones' start against Crystal Palace was the first disruption to the midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch , Alexis Mac Allister , and Dominik Szoboszlai .

However, the demanding English football schedule soon took its toll at Selhurst Park, with both Mac Allister and Alisson Becker suffering muscle injuries. "Maybe this is something the FA should look at, if you play Wednesday evening, why do you have an early kick-off in an away game on Saturday? " Slot questioned after the match.

"Or should they look at me and I have to rotate all my players? Maybe it's also bad luck, but it's not the way we want it."

With a challenging run of fixtures ahead, Slot will now have no choice but to give more game time to squad players to ensure they're ready when called upon.

The need for more first-team opportunities is evident. Players like Endo, who has seen limited game time this season, Conor Bradley with just one start, Tyler Morton with a mere eight minutes on the pitch, Joe Gomez with even less Premier League playtime, Jarell Quansah with a single appearance since mid-August, and Federico Chiesa with less than 80 minutes of action, are all in need of more exposure.

All these players are expected to feature in the League Cup fourth round tie against Brighton later this month. However, with a relentless fixture list post the November international break, they will undoubtedly be needed for more than just sporadic appearances.

Each player, including Endo and third-choice goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros , who was on the bench at Selhurst Park, has demonstrated their ability to contribute. If Liverpool is to seriously contend for major honors this season, these fringe players will be vital.