Round-upThe best bits from Arne Slot's press conference on Friday

After progressing to the Carabao Cup final, the Reds' focus has quickly turned towards Sunday's fourth-round tie with the Championship side at Home Park.

See what the head coach told reporters at the AXA Training Centre with the summary below…

On whether there were any celebrations after reaching the Carabao Cup final...

Not a lot. But after every game we go with a few people and drink a glass of wine, and then we go home because it was quite late already when all my media duties were done.

On the balancing act of rotation...

I think it's always a tricky tie no matter what team you play because it's an away game, it's their final probably – as is many times when Liverpool comes anywhere. But it is true that if you play with a team that hasn't played so much together that that is always for the players a bit more difficult. But I think we've seen already a few times when we played with a team that hasn't played already together – even in Eindhoven in the Champions League – these players were able to play a very good game.

So, I think it's important in these moments for some players that don't get [much] playing time to have their playing time, so whenever we need them they are ready. If you never play them then it's so difficult for them to be ready if we do get some injuries or suspensions. Yeah, we will definitely use a few players that haven't played that much. But we will make that final call tomorrow.

On Virgil van Dijk...

I think Virgil deserves every compliment he gets. He's been outstanding for this club for so many years and since I'm working here he's been outstanding for me as well for the performances he brings in. Yesterday was, again, an example of that. He was also in a good manner aggressive, he led the team in a way. With the ball we all know what he can do. But also without the ball he was sharp and ready. It was not a coincidence that it took 80 minutes before they had their first shot on target. Virgil, like many others, has had a good season. But he wants, just like all the others, to make it a great season and, therefore, we still have to play many games.

On Conor Bradley's attacking output and making sure there are no gaps defensively when he ventures forward...

First of all, not lose the ball – that's the smartest thing you can do. He has to understand when he has to make the run. This – when it led to the 3-0 [against Tottenham] – was a very good choice because Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] had the ball and he had the ball quite open, so he was not under any threat, and if Macca has the ball I would make a run as a teammate as well because there's a fair chance that he will find you in the perfect moment with the perfect pass.

First of all, it's about the timing, when do you make these runs? If the ball is under threat then maybe it's not a smart moment. But if the ball is completely open and we can change sides, it's a perfect moment for him to start his run. Of course we always have Ibou [Konate], Virgil and the other full-back behind the ball – including Ryan [Gravenberch] – so if for whatever reason we do lose the ball over there, it's not like there are no defenders left anymore.

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On giving the players 'more time to live a normal life' at home...

I can't compare with how it was, but definitely I see them as human beings as well. We are working very hard if we are here at the AXA or playing a game. Yesterday was a great example again of how these players work. But if you want to just keep on going for such a long season because they never have a week or two weeks off, then I think at certain moments they have to be at home as well and being a father or a husband as well. If you are only a football player for 15, 16, 17 years with only three weeks off during the summer – and if you can only be a husband or a father for three weeks a year – that would not be human. Of course we take this into account but we do these things mainly because we think it benefits us for winning football games.

On allowing players to spend more time at home the night before games...

That's part of it, the other part that people tell me – people who have more knowledge about this than me – that you always sleep better in your own bed than in a hotel bed. Sleep is a very important part of getting the best possible performance. It's not only the argument you just gave for them to be at home with their families, but it is definitely also that they are better prepared for a game in the opinion of people that tell me. I have no reason not to believe them because if you use common sense, I think everyone can understand you sleep better in your own bed than in a hotel bed. So, if it's not necessary, we indeed sleep at home.

On Alisson Becker not being involved on Thursday night…

I think I said before the game that almost every time we played the second goalkeeper in the League Cup. So, at Brighton it was Vit [Jaros] because at that moment of time Caoimh [Kelleher] was the No.1 because Alisson was injured at that moment. There was only one exception and that was Tottenham away, where Alisson came back from an injury and I thought and felt that he needed some extra playing time. Because if you come back from an injury – you see this with many players – they sometimes need a bit of time to be at their best again. They're still good, but for them to be at their best again.

And then three days later we played the Accrington Stanley game, and then three days later we played [Nottingham] Forest and with him being just back from an injury, for me it felt better for him to play, then have a week's rest and then have Nottingham Forest. So that was more with the idea of being best possible prepared for the league. Yesterday was a League Cup game so that meant Caoimh was in goal, and he absolutely deserved to be in goal for everything he did this season until now.

On whether he will decide who will play in the Carabao Cup final closer to the time…

We never know what the situation around the final is. How fit is everyone? Do they need a game, yes or no? So, I cannot guarantee anything. I never guarantee anything to players so far in advance and that's not what I'm going to do now as well.

On his assessment of Darwin Nunez's all-round game recently...

Yeah, better indeed. I think in general we used the No.9 better and better than we maybe did in the beginning of the season. That is the positive thing of playing more games, training more together and having more meetings together – that you can highlight that a bit more as well. I think in the beginning of the season we were quite dependent on our wingers but I see that we are starting to use our nine more and more in situations that we have to use him. And as a result of that, these players come in promising positions and they have just as much quality as our wingers. So, if you put [Diogo] Jota in a promising position or if Lucho [Diaz] plays there or Darwin, they will give you what we are all hoping for and that's goals and assists.