For much of last season, the phrase ‘Liverpool team news’ carried a sense of dread for Reds fans as they braced themselves for preparing to find out which injuries had been added to an already excessive list.
However, on the eve of our first Premier League match under Arne Slot tomorrow, the new head coach delivered an update which’ll be music to supporters’ ears.
The Dutchman spoke to the press this morning ahead of the fixture against Ipswich on Saturday, and Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle – who was among the reporters present – took to X with a seven-word declaration which made for pleasant reading.
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He posted: “Slot says everyone is fit for Ipswich”.
Slot says everyone is fit for Ipswich
— Ian Doyle (@IanDoyleSport) August 16, 2024
READ MORE: ‘I truly believe…’ – Slot takes defiant stance on lack of summer signings for Liverpool
Glorious team news for Liverpool at last
After injuries decimated Jurgen Klopp’s squad last season to the point where numerous youngsters were thrown in at the deep end, particularly during February, it’s a very welcome novelty to hear a Liverpool boss saying that he has a fully fit selection at his disposal.
It’s wishful thinking in the extreme to expect that to remain the case for the entire campaign, but it’s the perfect starting point for the opening day, and all the more appreciated when almost the whole summer has elapsed without any new signings being made.
There is one Reds player currently nursing a setback, with Jayden Danns sidelined until October, although Slot’s update this morning would suggest that the 18-year-old wouldn’t have been seen as an immediate first-team option at the outset of the season in any case.
Fingers crossed that Liverpool can navigate the bulk of the campaign with minimal injury problems, certainly after the travails of 2023/24 in that regard. The real test will come in the autumn when Champions League and Carabao Cup commitments are added to the workload.
Somebody on Slot’s staff that replaced Klopp’s outgoing group is doing something very, very right with preseason training.