League Cup touchline ban poses no problem for Liverpool boss Arne Slot

LONDON – Arne Slot will not be on the touchline for Liverpool’s League Cup quarter-final against Southampton on December 18, but he has said he does not expect his ban to prevent him from have an impact on the team.

The Dutchman will serve a sideline suspension during the match, having received his third yellow card of the season during Liverpool’s 2-2 English Premier League draw against Fulham on December 14.

“If you are suspended in the Netherlands, you are not allowed to be in and around the dressing room or do media. It’s a lighter version of the suspension,” Slot said before the match at St Mary’s Stadium.

“I would say I’m used to it but this is the first time I’ve been suspended. I am still able to do the things I want to do. The least impact you have on your team happens during the 45 minutes and the biggest impact happens during halftime and before the game.

“The ideal situation is that I would be on the sidelines but I got a yellow, which I probably deserved too.”

Reigning League Cup champions Liverpool have had a good start to the season and sit top of the Premier League and Champions League table.

“It happened last season when this club won this competition,” Slot added.

“So I’m not surprised at the quality we have, because we are competing at the moment for these three trophies, and the fourth (the FA Cup) starts in January.

“But it’s a challenge because we also have a lot of great competition here on other teams. In the League Cup, if you look at the other teams that are still there, none of the teams will have an easy path to the final.

The Reds will come up against a Southampton side in crisis, with the south coast club sacking manager Russell Martin shortly after a 5-0 home drubbing by Tottenham Hotspur left them bottom of the Premier League.

Southampton Under-21s manager Simon Rusk is expected to be in charge.

“It’s difficult to know what we can expect in terms of training, in terms of personnel, but what we do know is that we have to play an away game against Southampton, against eleven players. , said Slot.

The Liverpool boss also confirmed that Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa would receive match minutes and that defender Kostas Tsimikas was closing in on a return, adding: “Wata hasn’t played much but luckily for us he plays for his national team.

“The few times he can play in the League Cup also help him keep his rhythm. You can expect (Chiesa) to get minutes. He won’t get 90. This is a game where not all of our starters will start. We have to balance.

“(Tsimikas) is going to train with us today for the first time, so let’s see how it goes. Ibrahima (Konate) and Conor (Bradley) are still not training with us.

Arsenal are also in the last 16 when they host fellow Londoners Crystal Palace on the same day. The two teams meet in the Premier League at Selhurst Park on December 22, but the focus will first be on this Cup match in which a semi-final place is at stake.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners head into the match after a 0-0 draw with Everton last weekend, while Palace are bolstered by their 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Arsenal, however, have had no difficulty scoring goals in the League Cup so far. They beat Bolton Wanderers 5-1 in the third round, before beating Preston North End 3-0 – although those wins were against lower league opponents.

Arteta will need no reminder that Palace are a Premier League team, and the task is no easy one given the hosts have been eliminated in seven of their last 10 appearances at this stage of the competition. REUTERS

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