The Liverpool boss was talking after his side beat Barnsley 4-1 in the third round on Monday night
Arne Slot saw his side beat Barnsley 4-1(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Arne Slot is hopeful that Rio Ngumoha avoided injury despite being forced off after 73 minutes in Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Barnsley. The 17-year-old pulled up after attempting to keep the ball in play, having been handed his third start of the season.
The winger has been used sparingly by Slot this season, making 10 appearances in all competitions.
Speaking after the final whistle, the Reds head coach revealed he thinks the teenager was just suffering with cramp as he explained his management of Ngumoha and what the next steps are for him after his latest start.
READ MORE: Barnsley boss hits out at ‘disrespectful’ Dominik Szoboszlai after Liverpool error
“I assume and think and expect it is cramp,” he said. “So it tells Rio that I expect a Premier League game is more intense than this one.
“It is very nice for him to again make 70 minutes but that it is still very hard work to be ready for 90 in the Premier League. But that is completely normal for a 17-year-old. That’s normal, make no mistake about that.
“It’s already great for him, for Liverpool and for everybody that is following us that a 17-year-old makes so many minutes in a Liverpool shirt.
“Let’s hope he can continue and we can bring him further and further towards 90 minutes at Premier League level.”
Slot named a strong side against Barnsley, but victory was only clinched after he sent on Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz as the pair provided a goal and an assist for each other.
The Dutchman admitted he could have turned to Liverpool’s academy and named a younger side, but felt justified in his decision to name a more first-choice squad – especially following previous cup defeats to Plymouth Argyle and Crystal Palace.
“It is important for every team to have strength in depth in your squad,” he said. “We could see it when we played Arsenal when they made their five substitutions.
“Today I mixed the line-up a little bit. It wasn’t like Plymouth last season or Crystal Palace this season.
“One, because we take this competition very seriously. Secondly, because I didn’t have the possibilities to do so because I couldn’t make 11 changes.
“Well I could, but I would have had to look to the Under-21s and Under-18s. I think it showed tonight that we needed a lot of first-team players to win this game.
“I think I made the right decision to play a lot of starters as well, but I also had no other opportunity. I could have played four or five Under-21s players but I chose not to do so.”
Meanwhile, Slot shared his belief that it was the right decision for Barnsley not to be awarded a penalty against Dominik Szoboszlai as he pointed to decisions that had not gone Liverpool’s way in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Arsenal.
“There was no VAR so when he gives it, even if he made a mistake, there was not a possibility to correct it,” he said. “It has been told to me it was not a penalty and Dominik played the ball.
“I have to see it back to give you my opinion. I have seen Thursday evening things twice in Arsenal’s box that were more a penalty than this one, when I just looked at it without seeing it on video.
“But I could live with not getting one against Arsenal. Although, this season we’ve conceded penalties even after VAR interventions in incidents that were less than the two incidents at Arsenal.
“But I could live with the outcome at Arsenal and I can live with the outcome today.”
