MatchRB Leipzig v Liverpool: Champions League team news
As the head coach had forecasted on Sunday, the travelling Reds group flew out to Germany on Tuesday afternoon without Diogo Jota as a result of the injury he sustained in the Premier League win over Chelsea.
Also absent for the league-phase meeting with the Bundesliga outfit are Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott.
“We have a few issues at the moment,” Slot confirmed during his pre-match press conference, before giving the latest news on Jota specifically.
“He got a knock [on Sunday], like we all saw, when he was trying to go to goal, brought down. That was not the biggest problem but I think the other player fell onto him and that hurt him that much that he couldn’t continue to play and he couldn’t come with us for now.
“It’s difficult to judge at this moment of time to see how long that’s going to take. It’s bruised, so we have to see how long it is going to take.”
The boss went on to give an explanation of why summer arrival Chiesa is currently not available.
“He missed a complete pre-season, I said this many times, and going to a league where the intensity might even be higher than the Italian league. We just faced the two Italian teams so I can say this now,” said Slot.
“So that makes it difficult for him to make the step towards the intensity levels the rest of the team is at at the moment. That has not so much to do with the Italian league or the Premier League, that has more to do with him missing a complete pre-season and that is so difficult for every player – when the games are constantly there – to build them up towards the levels we are at.
“So, difficult to say [a timeframe] but it’s a big disappointment for him that he is going in and out of the training sessions all the time.”
Centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who alongside Dominik Szoboszlai returns to face his former club at Red Bull Arena, will miss Liverpool’s next Champions League match if he receives a yellow card.
For the hosts, meanwhile, Assan Ouedraogo is being reintegrated to team training, while Kevin Kampl and Benjamin Henrichs made comebacks in the 2-0 win away at FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday.
Leipzig will, however, be without David Raum, Xaver Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald due to injuries.
Marco Rose’s team are searching for their first points of the revamped league phase, having been beaten 2-1 away at Atletico Madrid and 3-2 at home to Juventus so far.
“To lose is never good, we are not relaxed, but we know we could have won more points with maybe a better performance and with more luck,” Rose said while previewing Wednesday night’s clash.
“Now we face Liverpool, another great team. It is our third match with five more coming up, also against strong opponents. Considering our start to this competition, of course there is a little bit of pressure built up.
“[This match] will not be decisive but it will be important to get some points, to relieve some of the pressure, and it would be cool to start that against Liverpool.”
Assessing Slot’s side, Rose added: “Still Liverpool are very strong in pressing situations, they defend very well, it is an intense game. They are a very robust team, physically strong on and off the ball.
“It is the same character Liverpool had under [Jürgen] Klopp, very dominant like in the old days. Slot does it in his own way, of course, with some different mechanisms. But everything is clear.
“They are uncomfortable to defend against with high quality, a lot of vertical play and a lot of possession.”
Last match
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea (October 20): Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Jota.
FSV Mainz 05 0-2 RB Leipzig (October 19): Gulacsi, Geertruida, Klostermann, Orban, Lukeba, Simons, Vermeeren, Haidara, Nusa, Openda, Sesko.