Arne Slot Exposes Shocking Truth Behind Florian Wirtz's Devastating Injury Blow
Liverpool boss Arne Slot revealed that Florian Wirtz's substitution in the second half against Leeds United was due to workload management following his recent hamstring concerns.
Wirtz featured for 66 minutes at Anfield on New Year's Day—though it seemed excessive. The £116 million ($156.1 million) summer signing displayed the same hesitancy that his goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers the previous weekend had appeared to eliminate, meekly wasting the limited chances Liverpool managed to create against a stubborn Leeds defense.
The German midfielder wasn't alone among Liverpool players in producing a sluggish performance. Slot emphasized that his squad has been exhausted by the relentless demands of constant competition throughout a punishing fixture list, with no opportunity for squad rotation due to widespread injuries.
Along with Wirtz, Curtis Jones was substituted after clearly showing the toll of completing the full 90 minutes in Liverpool's last five matches.
"It's demanding a lot from the available players," Slot commented to ALL RED Video following Thursday's 0–0 stalemate. "As evident today, four players with minimal Premier League experience were among the substitutes. Florian managed just one training session this week because two days following the match [against Wolves], he still experienced some hamstring discomfort.
"You attempt to exercise maximum caution while not compromising your winning prospects too severely, considering the upcoming fixtures, because losing another player would create an even greater issue if that absence extends to five, six, or seven weeks or beyond."
There's no immediate relief in sight for Wirtz or Liverpool. The reigning Premier League champions face a confident Fulham team on Sunday before confronting league leaders Arsenal in a crucial encounter on Jan. 8. Regrettably for Slot, his available squad isn't expected to expand significantly during this period.
Slot Presents Grim Outlook on Injury Situation
While attempting to focus on positives, Slot highlighted one concerning negative. Liverpool's packed medical room won't be clearing out anytime soon.
"The positive aspect was Cody Gakpo's return from injury, allowing me to make several changes," Slot observed before quickly adding, "and these players must handle the responsibility in the coming weeks or months because aside from Joe Gomez, I don't anticipate any player returning soon."
Alexander Isak faces a lengthy absence with a fractured leg until late February at minimum. Giovanni Leoni remains out long-term with an ACL injury while Mohamed Salah will definitely miss the Arsenal fixture due to Egypt's participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Slot suggested that Gomez might return shortly, though that still leaves the undervalued Wataru Endo on the periphery. When the reliable Japanese midfielder joined under Jürgen Klopp in 2023, the German coach told him: "We genuinely need you. We possess an excellent squad. Prepared to work, but highly attacking."
The same principle applies today and Slot has been openly lamenting Endo's unavailability in recent weeks. The compact defensive midfielder would regularly enter matches from the bench to secure narrow victories last season, providing defensive stability in half of Liverpool's Premier League games. This campaign, Endo has only been healthy enough for five substitute appearances and merely one since early October.