Liverpool injury concerns deepen as Arne Slot admits squad stretched to limit

• Wataru Endo facing lengthy spell out after being stretchered off against Sunderland
• Arne Slot admits Liverpool cannot afford any more injuries
• FA Cup clash with Brighton arrives with squad already stretched

Arne Slot has admitted the last thing Liverpool need this season is another injury after midfielder Wataru Endo was stretchered off during the victory at Sunderland.

Endo, who had already been filling in at right back because of injuries elsewhere in the squad, is expected to be sidelined for a prolonged period with a foot problem. The setback further thins Liverpool’s options ahead of this weekend’s fourth-round tie against Brighton.

Slot acknowledged the growing strain on his squad and stressed the importance of carefully managing player workloads in the coming weeks.

“The load management is important because the last thing we could use right now is another injury,” Slot said. “That is always the difficult balance for the manager and the medical staff. You want to make the best decision every single time. A player can get injured if he plays three games in seven days, but it has also happened many times that players manage it well. That is the challenge.”

Liverpool secured a narrow win against League One opposition to book their place in the next round, but Slot accepted that the margins continue to work against his side.

“Margins have been so small for us this season,” he said. “Every single time the other team gets a moment, they score. We need to put so much into our attacks before we are able to score ourselves. That is something we have to keep working on.”

The Dutchman pointed to similarities between recent performances, including the defeat to Manchester City and the narrow win over Sunderland, suggesting that small moments are dictating results.

“I did not see much difference in the last 20 minutes compared to the game against City,” Slot added. “The difference was that the first time Sunderland arrived after we scored, they made it count. Before that, we were pushing to score a second goal. That shows how fine the margins really are.”

With injuries continuing to mount, Liverpool face a demanding period as they juggle domestic and European commitments, knowing any further setbacks could severely test their depth and resilience.