Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has been speaking to the media ahead of facing Chelsea in the Premier League . Here is everything he had to say during his pre-match press conference .
On new contracts for Trent Alexander-Arnold , Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah : "What is happening is they were with their national teams. Trent scored a fantastic free-kick. Same question, same answer!
"There will always be talks and it is normal that you asked. If they played badly — not to say s*** this time! — it's a good thing you ask that if they renew because it says they play well. I cannot say anything about it as this time."
Arne Slot offers Liverpool injury update as worrying 'few issues' admission made Max Verstappen responds to Jurgen Klopp's new job as pair link up at Red Bull On the latest injury situation: "Alisson is for sure not with us in upcoming weeks. That's a blow for him and us. He did really well for this club for so many years. Caoimhin Kelleher did well for us previous years and this year, so we have a good replacement.
"We've got quite some issues and we can only judge that from today as it's the first day they are all in. Macca missed one game, played the second. Kostas missed England... I can name them all and we have a few issues, so we will see. Endo was sick, we will see."
On the upcoming fixture schedule: "If you judge a team on a week, that isn't fair, so you judge us after this spell of games, then we will know better how we act and perform.
"If we play tough Champions League and Premier League games, that is normal. We've seen that. The only ones who showed they can do both Premier League and Champions League in the last two seasons is City and Arsenal. The best way to judge us is in four weeks."
On Enzo Maresca and Chelsea: "If you look at the table, it is [the toughest challenge for Liverpool so far this season]. Man Utd is a top club and spent a lot, same for Chelsea in this season but they have done really well. League table, they are the toughest [so far] but it is not always about the table; we had some troubles at Wolves too, but it is a challenge, for sure.
"Very important [to be good defensively]. If you want to achieve something we need to be stable defensively, we have done that so far. Now we face even better players. Chelsea, like United, have a lot of great players and we have to control that as a team but we also have to create our own chances too. Good thing is we have players who can score. An interesting game on Sunday.
"It's not up to me to comment on their approach [in the transfer market]. They were successful in the second half of last season. If a team does that, it is a good forecast for what you can expect the next season, and they got some new players and a good manager in, so it is no surprise to see their results. A young team is the first thing I see, on long-term contracts. Quality, criticism come in recent years but where they are now, they are a big threat for top three or four positions and they will be in the upcoming years."
On Conor Bradley: "He's got a bright future. He's a very good player and that is what we need here. He's done, last season, really well when he replaced Trent. Trent has played a lot but Conor is a good player and normally they find their way into the team. I expect that in the future of this club."
On Virgil van Dijk and his importance to Slot as he adjusts to Liverpool: "He has been crucial for us. From what you guys see on the pitch, we all see how good he still is and how much he contributes to our offensive style. What you guys don't see and I do is how important he is in the sessions, he is loud, brings quality to it. What you see at the weekend, I see in the week, and that is what you want to see. He is definitely our leader.
"If you are not from Holland [criticism] might be a surprise but in Holland the Dutch media is all about that! I exaggerate a bit but if there is a chance to criticize, Dutch people in general will find a way to do it. Virgil didn't deserve this but it's no surprise. It's a surprise to hear criticism of Virgil because it is normal you have a few days off [when possible]. Some Dutch players didn't join because they were tired, so how you can criticize [Van Dijk]..."
On Alexander-Arnold playing left-back for England: "I only saw the free-kick! Good players will always find a way into the team if they have good teammates, which is what Trent has at England. If you play Finland and Greece, with respect, these quality players will play well. Although they lost to Greece.
"He's been very good for us until now. He is still important and I liked the way he has defended too. He has made a step up in that perspective. But like all the others, room for improvement, that is clear. I think he has done well for us this season and the national team too. Three times from four Man of the Match. Let's hope he will be it for us too."
On what he did during the international break: "It starts off with the first thing you said: to take a mental break. That's why it's so normal for Virgil to take a break, players and coaches need this, mentally. It asks a lot from you. But I think I came back Tuesday and then you start thinking about Chelsea, Leipzig, what we have to improve and other teams' approaches. But at home I'm good at not thinking about football."
On Alisson's injuries: "It's uncommon for goalkeepers. At Feyenoord, I had the same with my goalkeeper, getting muscle injuries. We are looking into it and what the reasons are. If you get one the chances of another go up so we have tried to be careful. But also it's a good chance to explain again...
"There were some things about me not disliking 12:30 kick-offs but if you play Wednesday evening, it might be disadvantage to play 12:30pm after a Champions League game... the chances for injury go up. We need to take this into consideration.
"You cannot change all 11 players but in retrospect I might have chosen Caoimh over Ali. In Holland, I am 99.9 per cent sure the Champions League teams get extra rest to prepare. That is not common here in England."
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