Virgil van Dijk insisted Liverpool mustn't panic regardless of back-to-back defeats for less than the second time underneath Arne Slot at Galatasaray. Accidents to Alisson and Hugo Ekitiké added to Liverpool's worries as their head coach defended the efficiency and his choice to relaxation Mohamed Salah in Istanbul.
Victor Osimhen's first-half penalty condemned Liverpool to defeat within the Champions League. The Premier League leaders had relinquished their 100% successful begin to the season at Crystal Palace on Saturday however Van Dijk was adamant {that a} remodelled workforce will recapture title-winning kind.
The Liverpool captain stated: “I believe now we have confirmed it already in lots of video games this season however we haven't proven it for the total 90 minutes but sadly. It's completely regular and these days you don't get the time from the surface world so you need to be robust mentally.
“I'm very assured. We now have to maintain working and sticking collectively. We had an excellent begin this yr by way of factors tally. There shouldn't be panic, however enchancment is required.”
Slot confirmed that the goalkeeper Alisson will miss the journey to Chelsea on Saturday with a muscle downside. Ekitiké was additionally withdrawn within the second half with an unspecified harm, after taking place holding the again of his leg late on.
“Alisson felt one thing when he sprinted again,” Slot stated. “Usually when a participant sprints again and feels one thing and goes to the ground and doesn't come again to the pitch – which by the best way they did 112 occasions being injured and coming again on the pitch with none ache – then I worry the worst and that's what occurred with Alisson. He will be unable to play Saturday, 99.9%.”
As for Liverpool's newest defeat, the top coach stated: “For me it was a special loss to the one we had in opposition to Palace as a result of there was much more to love, particularly within the first half.
“Within the second half it grew to become tougher and tougher for us to create as a result of to start with they have been preventing with all that they had and you need to give credit score to them, and secondly the ball was hardly in play within the second half.”
after publication promotion
Slot stated he rested Salah till the 62nd minute to keep away from risking harm following the ahead's latest workload.
