Ryan Gravenberch is likely to return for Liverpool when they host Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday, Arne Slot said after the midweek Carabao Cup exit to Crystal Palace. Gravenberch missed the subsequent league defeat at Brentford and did not feature against Palace, though Slot had made widespread changes for that cup tie.

Slot confirmed the midfielder has “a good chance” of being fit for the clash with Villa. “I think Ryan has a good chance,” the Liverpool boss said. He added that other absences would be assessed over the next 48 hours: “The other ones are going to be… let’s wait and see tomorrow and Friday. I don’t know [about] all of them but I think Ryan has the best chance from all of them.”

Liverpool have been hampered by injuries beyond Gravenberch, with Alexander Isak, Alisson, Jeremie Frimpong and Curtis Jones also sidelined. The defeat to Palace was the club’s sixth loss in seven matches across all competitions, and the reigning champions enter the weekend aiming to avoid a fifth straight Premier League defeat.

Slot acknowledged the scale of the problem. He said that “losing that many” matches is already “too much” for a club like Liverpool but insisted the pressure on the team was unchanged by the latest result. “I don’t think it’s possible that if you lose five out of six, that losing six out of seven there is even more pressure,” he said. “If you play for Liverpool or manage Liverpool you know the pressure is there. I don’t think it has changed much after this loss [against Palace].”

Crystal Palace produced a clear 3-0 win at Anfield as Ismaïla Sarr scored twice and left Liverpool facing questions over a remarkably inexperienced starting XI.

Manager Arne Slot faced pointed scrutiny after leaving senior figures such as Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Mohamed Salah out of the matchday squad. The nine substitutes between them had just 19 first-team appearances, and none were older than 21.

In a series of postmatch explanations Slot compared his selection to other Premier League sides. “I saw City’s lineup and I don’t think they had one starter from the weekend,” Slot mistakenly moaned, “but it felt as if you look at their lineup they played with their 11 starters. So maybe it also gives a little bit of insight—everybody has always said how big of a squad we have.” He pointed to Manchester City bringing proven senior players off the bench in their cup game, citing John Stones, Joško Gvardiol and Phil Foden being used against Swansea City.

He also referenced Chelsea as an example of available depth. “When we played Chelsea, I said, ‘They’re missing eight but they can still bring Estêvão in.’ We are only missing four players at the moment and already we needed to start with four players under the age of 19. And after I made two substitutions we were on six [under-19s].”

Slot stressed the demands on a squad still adapting. “I saw some of the struggles that the players have had in preseason and players that came from different leagues,” the Dutch boss sighed. “It is a new challenge for them to play at Premier League and Champions League level, three games in seven days.”

He defended using academy options in the Carabao Cup. “To add to that, this club has always used this competition for their academy players as well,” Slot added in a desperate attempt to save face. “So for the non-starters and the academy players, this felt to me like the right decision.”

On injuries he warned of risks to player fitness: “Last time I played a player that wasn’t fully prepared—we thought he was prepared but it was the first time—[Alexander] Isak, he got injured. Last time we played Southampton [Giovanni] Leoni was injured and it was a red card for Hugo Ekitiké. Those are the things we can’t use with a big week coming up,” he told Sky Sports.

He finished by highlighting squad limitations. “People all of a sudden think we have 25 players available. But we mainly have 20 players then we have four injuries. I only have one right fullback, Conor Bradley, as an example. Every time I had to play him twice in three days or three times in seven days [last season] I had to take him off with a hamstring injury or something else.

“Are you willing to take that risk with such a big week coming up?”

Arne Slot’s second season at Liverpool has stumbled into a severe patch. The side have lost five of six matches and suffered four successive Premier League defeats. Performances have been described as unacceptable and complacent, and Slot faces growing pressure to arrest the slide before an early wobble damages the campaign.

First, the defence must be stabilised. Liverpool have kept just two clean sheets in all competitions this season and only five since March. Contributing factors cited include Alisson’s hamstring injury, Ibrahima Konaté’s implosion, uncertainty at full back and a lack of depth at centre back. The Reds have been repeatedly punished by teams that attack quickly on the counter, notably in recent losses to Manchester United and Brentford. Slot’s more attacking full backs and an offence-first strategy have left the rear exposed, after a season when Liverpool kept more clean sheets than any other side.

Second, midfield protection has declined. Ryan Gravenberch earned plaudits last season, but Liverpool still relied on Alexis Mac Allister to control tempo. Mac Allister is praised as a masterful conductor who screens the back four, bites into tackles and seldom surrenders possession. This term he has struggled through injury, a lack of match fitness and inconsistent form. He has appeared in 12 matches in all competitions but has lasted over 70 minutes only twice. With Gravenberch also hampered by injury, a pivot of Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai has not provided the protection required.

Third, Mohamed Salah must regain his highest standards. Salah produced a career-high 23 assists and 34 goals in 2024–25 and was named the 2024–25 Premier League Player of the Season. He signed a new two-year contract, yet his form has dipped to seven goal contributions so far, with errant touches, predictable distribution and five big missed chances in the league.

Finally, the summer recruitment needs to deliver. Liverpool spent a record sum, with over £200 million on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak alone. Of the new arrivals, only Hugo Ekitiké has met expectations. Wirtz, Isak, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have struggled for various reasons: injuries for Frimpong, erratic full back play from Kerkez, Isak regaining fitness after missing pre-season, and Wirtz adapting to the Premier League’s speed and physicality. Slot requires better returns from his recruits as he seeks to stop the run.