Liverpool have had more rest than usual for the Champions League trip to Girona after their weekend game was postponed and have no need to change the team, manager Arne Slot said on Monday, with goalkeeper Alisson returning to the squad from injury.
The Premier League leaders’ match at Everton on Saturday was called off because of adverse weather conditions and Slot will continue to avoid rotating his side in Europe.
“If we played Everton we might have played the same team but you never know what that intense fixture could lead to,” Slot told a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s game.
“I think it was a good decision to cancel it and if you play a special game like that it needs to be played in good circumstances, it was a good decision.
“Now everyone is really ready so no reason to rotate from last match, so we will start with a very good team tomorrow.”
Slot’s decision to play his strongest side has paid off so far, with Liverpool top of the Champions League standings, assuring them of at least a playoff place, but the aim is to qualify automatically for the last 16 with a top-eight finish.
“If you play starters every time then you also need the result because we try to finish high to skip the next round,” he said. “If you skip the round and still have a difficult draw we’ll think about it differently but we have to wait and see.
“We want to stay in the top eight so we need a win and the first chance is tomorrow.”
Alisson has been out with a hamstring injury since early October but the Brazilian is now in the squad to face Girona but Slot was full of praise for his replacement Caoimhin Kelleher.
“He is fit. I think it speaks for itself if you can play with Alisson, who has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and for Brazil, that it is definitely nice to have him back and available,” Slot said.
“But if you then look at how his replacement (Kelleher) did, it is not going to be easy to do it even better, so we expect definitely the same and maybe on margins a bit better.
“But Caoimhin did so well so we can say we have two great goalkeepers who can do the job for us.”
Girona, in their first season in Europe, are 30th in the standings with three points from five games, three points off the playoffs, while Liverpool have 15, two ahead of Inter Milan.
