Liverpool FC have two injury concerns, in Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott, as their UEFA Champions League campaign commences on Tuesday. But first, we need to react to that shocking upset loss yesterday.
Arne Slot suffered his first L as Reds boss on Saturday, with Nottingham Forest coming in to Anfield and walking out as 1-0 victors.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 of 8
Liverpool FC at AC Milan
Kickoff: Tues, Sept 17, 9pm, San Siro Stadium
LFC Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
“The result frustrates the most, and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game and we hardly created any chances,” Slot said after his first setback with his new club.
“We only have to look at ourselves — we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.”
The Dutchman then explained what went wrong, tactically, for him and his side.
“Our decisions and execution weren’t good enough. In general we defended quite well, but the two fast players came on and made it difficult. We took a lot of risk and in the end it was a very good goal,” continued Slot.
Reds Team News
Now, on to the team news for midweek. Chiesa has STILL not made his debut in a Red shirt yet, as he’s working on building up his match fitness. Maybe he features off the bench here.
As for Elliott, we now have some more definitive news, and clarity on his fractured foot. He’s out for about six weeks, so we won’t see him again until late October.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.