Arne Slot repeats Jurgen Klopp complaint in message to FA after Alisson Becker injury

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp by complaining about the relentless fixture schedule that clubs in the Champions League are forced to undertake.

Before the international break, Liverpool played Bologna in Europe on the Wednesday before being put in the early kick-off slot against Crystal Palace on the Saturday. In the second game, Alisson Becker picked up a hamstring injury which could keep him out for weeks, while Alexis Mac Allister was withdrawn at half-time as a precaution when he felt some discomfort in his groin.

"It’s a bit uncommon for goalkeepers," Slot said during today's press conference. "For me, it’s common because the goalkeeper I had at Feyenoord also had his issues with injuries and muscle injuries. But that is not what you see a lot, these two are more of an exception.

"We are looking into it, what could be the reason. One thing we all know is that if you had one, the chances of getting another one go up. We’ve tried to be really careful with him but maybe it’s a good moment for me to explain one more time.

"There was a bit of rumor about me saying before the game that I don’t mind the 12.30 kick-off. That is still what I think because we train at the same time. But what might be something to think about for the English FA is if you play Wednesday evening in the Champions League then to play on Saturday at 12.30 might be a disadvantage when it comes to injuries.

"The time at 12.30 is no problem at all but if you play so shortly after playing on a Wednesday evening — fortunately it was a home game — that might be something we should take into consideration. Although it’s so hard to change all of your 11 players because you play only two days later, in retrospect I might have chosen Caoimhin instead of Alisson but you don’t expect a goalkeeper to pick up a muscle injury.

"What is very good in Holland is I’m 99.9 percent sure that teams that play in the Champions League in the upcoming week don’t play on a Sunday. They get extra rest to be the best possible way prepared for the Champions League game. That is not something common in England. Here, we say: ‘You have so many good players, you get your results in Europe no matter what’. We decide the fixture list and don’t take the Champions League into account."

Had Liverpool been away in Europe against Bologna then it wouldn't have been allowed to be the early game the following weekend. But because the Champions League fixture was at Anfield , it was permitted to be in that slot which is for TNT Sports in the UK.

Liverpool.com says: How long will it be before Slot is characterized in the same way as Klopp, as some kind of moaning manager who only cares about his own team? Liverpool is his primary focus, of course, but there is a more general conversation to be had about player welfare and the number of fixtures.

Whenever Klopp tried to bring that up, it was spoken about by many as simply the German moaning and wanting things his own way. Slot has the benefit of being a new voice on the scene for now, but that won't last forever.