While Arne Slot was eager to stress there are no concerns at centre-back, he has acknowledged that Liverpool are yet to replace Jarell Quansah.
Liverpool are down to only two fit specialist centre-backs on their pre-season tour after Joe Gomez flew home early with a minor Achilles injury.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were assisted by Ryan Gravenberch and Kostas Tsimikas respectively against AC Milan, with Slot left to make do with the options at his disposal.
Quansah left for Bayer Leverkusen at the start of July and a replacement has yet to arrive, although all signs point to Crystal Palace‘s Marc Guehi as Liverpool’s priority.
Slot, as ever, remained calm in the face of a reporter questioning if the position needs depth, but did hint that Quansah is still to be replaced, as has been expected.
“I’m looking to my left [Virgil van Dijk] and I don’t think we have a concern at centre-back!” Slot told reporters.
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“In terms of depth? I think Ryan [Gravenberch] showed today, by the way, that he can play in that position. He did it last season as well. Although we all know we favour him as a No. 6.
“Wata [Endo] can play there. Joe Gomez only has a minor injury, he has been good for us last season as well.
“We have enough options left. But it’s true that Jarell Quansah left and we haven’t replaced him yet.”
Yet is the key word, and while all eyes are on the pursuit of Alexander Isak, the club will be working on bolstering their defence in the knowledge of the injury record that exits in the current contingent.
‘We want to achieve things in Europe’
Liverpool have been making one statement signing after another this summer and Slot knows it has been necessary if the club want to succeed domestically and in Europe.
“Now we won the league, but you can see everywhere around us – in the Premier League but also we play in Europe so we want to achieve things there as well – that all of these teams try to strengthen their squads,” Slot said.
“So, if you do the same as we did last year we will probably not be able to win it again.
“So, we have to improve – the players that are still here and we’ve tried to bring new energy in but also ‘weapons’, as you called it, and I think the players we’ve brought in have shown already in the few times we have trained together and the games we’ve played.”
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