'I have seen': Arne Slot shares why 'talented' Liverpool player has struggled for game time this season

Today at 05:00 AM

Liverpool are set to take on Accrington Stanley in an FA Cup third-round tie at Anfield tomorrow as they aim to return to winning ways.

The Reds suffered only their second defeat in all competitions under Arne Slot as they were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal in midweek.

A game against the League Two side could present the Dutchman with the opportunity to rotate his squad, with a handful of key players expected to be rested.

And now, Slot has revealed why Harvey Elliott – who could be in for a start tomorrow – hasn’t really got going this season.

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has been unlucky with injuries

With Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai ahead of him in the pecking order, the young Englishman has found game time hard to come by this season.

Elliott also suffered an injury blow earlier in the season that sidelines him for several weeks as he fractured his foot while representing the England U-21s.

When quizzed about the midfielder, Slot explained why it has taken him so long to get up to speed, stating that it’s not easy for players to return to their best after extended spells on the sidelines.

“I agree with you, he is talented, been that for so long,” said Slot in his pre-match press conference.

“In recent weeks he’s been in a lot but like it is for all the others, they compete with the others. He was unlucky he got injured and was out for a long time.

“What I have seen for all players injured, in this league, with the quality, it is not so easy to come back and be at your best immediately I see it with Harvey and all the other players who have been out six or seven weeks.

“We need to find the balance between playing time to get them back to their best but also be able to win. If you are 5-0 up you can give them long time, half an hour or so but we don’t win like that [a lot].”

What next for Elliott?

Elliott is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund and Brighton as he continues to struggle for game time at Anfield.

However, he is clearly a talented player and would’ve featured a lot more regularly if he hadn’t picked up an injury so early in the season.

Don Hutchison suggests Liverpool could offload Elliott, but with games set to come thick and fast between now and the end of the season, he is likely to play a much bigger part than what has been the case so far.