'You probably don't know': Arne Slot admits Liverpool star missed training before starting vs Chelsea

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Arne Slot will be on top of the world right now after guiding Liverpool to an important victory over Chelsea.

Virgil van Dijk knew Chelsea would be strong, and that is certainly what happened when Liverpool welcomed the Blues to Anfield.

But goals from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones helped Slot grind out the win, with Nicolas Jackson scoring for Chelsea in between.

There was, however, a real negative amid all the positivity, with Diogo Jota going off injured for Liverpool during the victory.

The attacker tried playing through the issue he suffered early on in the Premier League clash, but had to be withdrawn on the half-hour mark.

Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Arne Slot reveals Trent Alexander-Arnold issue before Chelsea match

Slot will now be sweating over the fitness of Jota, with the manager having been dealing with injury concerns for a handful of other players before the Chelsea match.

As quoted by the Liverpool website, Slot revealed such issues when speaking after the 2-1 win, saying: "I have a lot of confidence in this team, but you also saw today – after the international break – that we have some problems.

READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold from his girlfriend to net worth

"Conor Bradley is not in; Trent [Alexander-Arnold], you probably don't know, was also not training in the first days after he came back, so he was a bit of a doubt before we started the game. [And] then we had Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] being sick."

Trent Alexander-Arnold helps Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1

Alexander-Arnold clearly recovered from his issue in the days leading up to the match, having started and played 81 minutes at Anfield.

Fellow right-back Bradley was not involved at all, while midfield star Mac Allister appeared as an 81st-minute substitute.

Slot made the brave but wise decision to rest his South American stars from the start, with Luis Diaz also appearing from the bench.

READ MORE:The latest results for Liverpool in the 2024/25 season

Darwin Nunez meanwhile, who like Mac Allister and Diaz was recently involved in international action, was forced on early due to Jota's injury.

Fortunately Slot has a long list of talented attackers to call upon in such circumstances, but he will want the hugely talented Jota back in action as soon as possible.

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