Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch Sidelined: The Real Reason Behind His Crystal Palace Absence
Liverpool boss Arne Slot disclosed that Ryan Gravenberch missed Sunday's Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace because he welcomed his first child the previous evening.
Gravenberch was instrumental in Liverpool's Premier League championship run last season. Converted into a defensive midfielder by Slot, the ex-Ajax and Bayern Munich player excelled as the anchor in midfield.
The tall Dutch international featured in 37 of Liverpool's 38 Premier League matches and was a consistent presence during pre-season—occasionally deputizing at center-back—but was notably absent for Sunday's traditional season opener against Palace. His reason was compelling. "Ryan Gravenberch became a father last night," Slot told TNT Sports before kickoff.
The 23-year-old midfielder revealed that he and partner Cindy Peroti were expecting their first baby in April following Liverpool's Premier League triumph with a 5–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Alongside multiple ultrasound images, Gravenberch posted: "We have been keeping a secret, we can't wait to meet you."
Last time Liverpool competed in the community shield, Darwin Nunez was instrumental in claiming the silverware.
Someone else will need to rise to the occasion to match Arsenal's record this afternoon... pic.twitter.com/bKduB18Tz6
Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai, whose spouse delivered their first baby earlier in the week, comprised an offensive midfield duo replacing Gravenberch. Alexis Mac Allister, a more suitable substitute for his usual midfield colleague, began among the substitutes following a summer of injury rehabilitation.
Slot was able to field four of Liverpool's new summer acquisitions. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez occupied the wing-back positions alongside the established center-back duo of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, while Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké were deployed in a pacey attack.
"Ideally you want to deliver the finest performance possible," Slot reflected before the match.
"But we also understand how challenging it is to achieve that against Palace because they've earned their place here: they defeated [Aston] Villa in the [FA Cup] semifinal and [Manchester] City in the final.
"And toward season's end, Arsenal and ourselves couldn't secure victories against them at our home grounds. We recognize how beneficial or wise it is to maintain squad continuity because that's what we accomplished last season and we know the final outcome.
"Palace has precisely the same squad available today that represented them throughout nearly the entire previous campaign. So, a significant test awaits us."