Arne Slot confirms radical plans to play a MIDFIELDER at centre-back due to Liverpool's injury crisis with transfer activity unlikely

Joe Gomez, sidelined with a minor injury, and Ibrahima Konate, who has missed Liverpool's last two games due to personal issues after the death of his father, will miss Wednesday's match. This means that Slot, who previously admitted that the club are unlikely to sign a senior player before the transfer window shuts, will have to start someone out of position if a senior player is to play at centre-back.

At a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Slot was asked whether defensive midfielder Wataru Endo could play at centre-back given his prior experience in that role. The Dutchman replied: "He's been out with an injury for quite a long time, he had to play against Bournemouth [for] quite a long time and now, tomorrow, there's a game coming up and then three days later another game [is] coming up. As I also said, that's not the only way I decide on my line-up – tactics are involved in that as well. It is for sure at centre-back tomorrow there will not be a centre-back, I can only play a midfielder there because there are no centre-backs available.

"Apart from Virgil [van Dijk], who is one of the players I credit a lot for him being fit all the time. At his age, constantly being ready to play another 90 is something we should not take for granted. Coming back on what is 'acceptable' for me, I can say if we improve in both boxes I think we're able to win something this season, and if we only improve in one box it is going to be really difficult to win something this season."

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Dominik Szoboszlai, arguably Liverpool's best performer this season, has been used as a right-back in recent months, and Slot suggested the Hungarian may well have to play there once again due to this reshuffle in defence.

"As I said, I consider him for every position almost!" Slot added. "We will wait and see. Jeremie Frimpong is there to play as a full-back but he can also play as a winger. But on the right wing I also have Mo Salah. So, I have two options for the right wing to play and one option with Jeremie as a right full-back, but if we include Dom or Curtis [Jones] then all of a sudden I have three options to play at right-back. But, we both agree on the fact that he's best playing in the midfield - and the two of us definitely agree on that, Dominik and me!"

Despite the dismal defence of their Premier League title, Liverpool sit a respectable fourth in the Champions League standings entering into the final round of league phase fixtures, with only Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid ahead of them in the standings. Qarabag, billed as the surprise package of the European season so far, sit 18th and are on the cusp of reaching the knockout round play-offs.

Slot was asked for his assessment of this plucky Qarabag side, to which he replied: "It's always the individuals and the players that make things difficult. In terms of playing style, they are very direct, fast players, go very direct towards goal with a lot of runs in behind, players who are comfortable on the ball. They've shown this season against big clubs - because there are only big clubs in the Champions League - that they are a very good team and a hard team to beat. Even [against] Chelsea they were able to keep them to 2-2.

"I think even if you look at our Champions League campaign this season, some teams maybe have been lucky enough to face the ones that are now all outside the next round from 24th to 34th place. I think there's only one team from those 10 that we faced. We've had a lot of strong teams to face and we did really well. But maybe two days afterwards when we had to play in the league that brought us some problems because we've played so many strong teams in Europe."