Q&AIn full: Every word from Arne Slot's pre-Girona press conference

Shortly after landing in Spain, the Reds head coach met with reporters at Estadi Montilivi to preview matchday six in the league phase.

See everything Slot had to say on Monday evening…

• Is Alisson Becker available to play against Girona?

On his assessment of Girona...

I think it is really special what they've done here, particularly last season but even this season still. I've just made the comparison [in another interview] that they were close to becoming the Leicester City of [Spain] a few years ago [when] they were competing for the league title. With this budget, it probably means how good a manager Michel is. Even this season, I think they do better than the results might look, especially in the Champions League. I have seen almost every game and apart from the PSV [Eindhoven] game, they were in every game. They were unlucky against Paris Saint-Germain, I think they were a bit unlucky here against my former club Feyenoord when they conceded two own goals and missed a penalty, although Feyenoord missed one as well. So, they were in every game apart from the PSV Eindhoven one and that's why we have to be on top of our game tomorrow to get a result over here.

On the competition between Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo for the left-wing berth...

It is a healthy competition between Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo. Our fans saw a few times already Luis Diaz playing as No.9 as well in one or two games this season. For the last five, six, seven or eight weeks we've had four players available for three positions, so we've rotated once in a while mostly the left wing and the nine positions [and] our right winger has always been Mo Salah until now. They've both had a lot of starts, they've both been excellent for us – Luis Diaz and Cody – but the other two have done very well, also. I am happy about all four of them, but you're asking me [specifically] about the Colombian and I am really happy with Luis Diaz for as long as I've been here. Excellent work-rate, big threat, great footwork, can score goals, so a very special player for us.

On whether finishing top of the Champions League group has any significance...

It is so difficult to say anything about this. I have said it many times, but at the end of the season you can judge it in the best possible way – if it's helpful to end up in the top eight, if it's helpful to end up as No.1. Of course, it seems to be really helpful to end up first eight, but if every time you play your starters, which we have done until now almost every time, then you also need the results. We try to do this to, first of all, be in the highest possible position but also to skip the next round. If in the end it means by playing your starters always, skipping that round and still having a very difficult draw then we maybe are going to think about it differently next season, what we are going to do in the group stage. That is something we have to wait and see in the end of the season, where this will lead us. First of all, we want to stay in the top eight and therefore we think we need a win – and the first chance we have is tomorrow night.

On whether there is 'temptation to make some changes' due to Liverpool's position in the Champions League or if the Merseyside derby being postponed means he does not have to rotate...

Yes, the last thing is for sure. If we would have played that game then maybe we would have still played the same team as we are playing tomorrow night. But then you never know how that fixture, what people told me can be quite intense, would have led to. I think it was a very good decision to cancel the game for the safety of all the people. If you play such a special game, the last [derby] at Goodison Park, it needs to be, in my opinion, also in good circumstances. But that had nothing to do with the game being cancelled, but that's the good end result of it as well – that we can now play this game in good circumstances. But it was a very good choice coming from safety not to play that game. Now everyone is really fit because we skipped the game on Saturday, so there's no reason to rotate from the last match. Maybe there's a reason for the upcoming match but there's also three days in between that one. So, we will start like all the other games we've started with – with a very good team tomorrow.

On the team's defensive solidity...

Maybe this is something to do with the new set-up as well, I don't know. But it definitely has something to do with the quality our players have. We were just talking about our goalkeepers, how good they've done for us until now, because Alisson [Becker] was a few times in goal in the Champions League and Caoimhin [Kelleher as well], and we have a very good last line. But it is not only our last line and the goalkeeper that keep a clean sheet, it's also all the others that work so hard for it. What we have done, I don't think we've changed that much. The players are getting very good performances in and, as a result of that, we've won games and, I didn't even know, kept a lot of clean sheets as well.

On Girona's main strengths...

I think their game model is what stands out, their idea about football. Last season I watched quite a lot of them because I found it interesting what he did especially with the left full-back – he's still doing that this season as well, playing so inverted, having such a free role from that position. At that moment of time, you didn't see that that often – now you see some other teams doing it as well. But that is interesting to see. They have a very good idea about football, always want to bring the ball out from the back. They have many good players but since I am a Dutchman, especially last season, I liked a lot Daley Blind [and] how he did over here. He got some criticism in the Netherlands at his former club Ajax in the end. For a long time people were very positive about him and in the end he got some criticism. And if you saw him playing here last season, it was Daley Blind style – so confident on the ball, playing balls through the lines, really helping his team. They have many good players but since he is a Dutchman I will come up with him.

On potentially avoiding the play-off round and how it could be a 'big advantage' in the Premier League as well...

It could, but if we end up in the top eight I assume these clubs you were just mentioning end up in the top eight as well. So, I think Arsenal 95 per cent sure, [Manchester] City have to do a bit more maybe but they are able to win three times in a row as well, so then they will be in [the] top eight. But you never know if it's an advantage. Until now we've played almost every three days and we haven't done that bad, so maybe we should implement some friendly games if we finish top eight! No, it's a joke of course! It hasn't been bad for us that we've played so many games but we are pushing really hard to end up top eight to have the best possible seeding, but definitely also to skip that round.

• Training photos: Liverpool's Monday work ahead of UCL trip to Girona