Coach Arne Slot spoke up to defend the decision to choose the team after Liverpool suffered a sixth defeat in 7 matches in all competitions. They disappointingly eliminated Crystal Palace from the Carabao Cup.
The Dutch coach has decided to leave stars such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike out of the squad, making 10 changes compared to the previous match against Brentford. He also named many young players with less experience in the reserve list. As a result, it was not too surprising that Crystal Palace easily won 3-0 at Anfield.
Slot's decision was met with criticism. However, he still defended his point of view, saying it was a necessary decision in the context of a disjointed force.
"Everyone can have their own opinion, but with the current squad - only about 15 to 16 first-team players - this is the most reasonable choice," Slot said. The Dutch captain also admitted that Liverpool's upcoming series of matches against Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City are the reasons why he has to calculate carefully.
So, after a famous transfer window, why is Liverpool so short of players?
Injuries damage Liverpool's squad
A tight schedule is the main factor, but can Liverpool put themselves in a position to deal with it?
Slot admitted that he chose the starting lineup for the match against Palace to protect a team lacking in personnel. "We don't have the big squad that people think. People often look at the money we have spent and think Liverpool have up to 25 players ready to play. But in fact, we have only about 20 people, and four of them are injured," Slot said.
However, Liverpool are not in fact the team most severely affected by injuries compared to their opponents.
Liverpool are currently Ninth in the Premier League for the total number of days away from players due to injury, illness and suspension. However, they are third in terms of total injuries this season with 18 cases.
The problem is not the number, but the identity of those who have to retire. Many key players have been injured and Slot does not always have a worthy replacement.
Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is a key factor in Liverpool's system. Every time he is absent, it is always a big loss for Slot, especially when the team does not have a clear replacement for the Dutch international in the defensive midfield role.
This reality raises questions about Liverpool's squad depth and what they need to consolidate as the January transfer window approaches.
Is the transfer a problem?
Injuries are inevitable in a long season, but not every team can spend up to 446.5 million pounds to increase their force - a figure that breaks the transfer record of English football.
The Kop spent big in the summer of 2025, bringing in stars like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. These shocking contracts were expected to help the Merseyside side continue to dominate the Premier League.
How can an English championship not progress when adding such top stars to the squad? But things are not simple.
Isak's impatient departure from Newcastle has cost him an important pre-season preparation period, contributing to his slow start at Liverpool. The back-to-back injuries have made the situation worse. Ekitike had an impressive start, but then had to make way for Isak when Slot tried to help the blockbuster contract get into the rhythm.
Can the two appear on the field together? Some positive signs have emerged in the resounding victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, but it is clear that Ekitike's impressive integration is still something that other new recruits have not been able to do.
Wirtz is also struggling with his pace and intensity in the Premier League. More importantly, Slot seems to have not found a way to maximize the player's creativity. "We have not found an answer yet," he admitted, referring to Wirtz's ideal position in the Liverpool squad.
Is this a system problem?
Jeremie Frimpong has also become a lost figure at times. The player who has shined as a wing-back in the Bayer Leverkusen system is struggling to find a place in Liverpool's 4-man defense. In a higher role, when he was tried to replace Salah, he has not left a significant impression.
Slot's constant rotation between Conor Bradley, Frimpong and even midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back shows that he has not really found a solution to the problem in this hallway.
Ekitike, Wirtz and Frimpong - 3 contracts are highly appreciated, but there seems to be no clear plan for how to use them.
On the left wing of the defense, Milos Kerkez is struggling to adapt at Anfield. To be fair, his struggles have partly stemmed from the surprising lack of consistency of his centre-backs. Neither Ibrahima Konate nor Virgil van Dijk are in their best form.
If this poor streak continues, Liverpool could fall into a worse situation - 13 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal when entering the international break.
