Slot on Ekitike, the Derby, and Summer Transfers

Liverpool manager Arne Slot spoke ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby. The Reds will visit the Toffees' new stadium, Hill Dickinson, for the first time, making the derby even more special. Slot also discussed Hugo Ekitike's devastating injury, the club's wise decision to sign two central strikers last summer, and the further squad changes expected after the current season.

"Hugo hasn't had surgery yet. What happened is devastating for him because he joined a new club and immediately started making such a big impact, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals against his former club, with so much awaiting him in the summer. My first thoughts are about him being out for so long and missing special moments. But he's neither the first nor the last to go through this. There are so many examples of players who return even stronger after such injuries. He will 100% be one of them. He'll be one of those who, in 10-15 years, will say this injury made him stronger.

If you look at the home game against PSG, the future looks bright. We managed to dominate possession more, take 21 shots, and achieve a high xG against a team accustomed to dominating. This team showed it can compete with the best in Europe. We beat Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and Arsenal at home. That speaks volumes about this already being a strong team.

I'm not thinking about the number of summer signings. We know which areas need strengthening and some of the players who will be leaving. Let's see what happens in the summer. You know we are a club that trades.

Last year, we brought in quite a few players, which is why we sold so many. Over four transfer windows, we had net expenditures of £150 million. This shows what kind of club we are. We know we'll now have to replace at least two players (Robertson and Salah), but Kostas Tsimikas will return. Our primary goal is to see how we react regarding Mo Salah's position. Whether we want to replace him with a similar type of player or do it differently. At the moment, it doesn't look like many players will leave. Of course, there's the situation with Ibrahima Konate's contract.

It's good that we signed two central strikers last summer. Many people commented on it, but now it looks like a good idea. Now people are saying we need to sign a new one this summer. Someone told me you couldn't write a script where Isak returns for his first start after four months out, and in the same game, Ekitike leaves the field with a long-term injury. It's great to have Isak back, but we know he's not yet ready for 90 minutes. But there are other players who can fill that position. Cody Gakpo did very well when he came on against PSG. Federico Chiesa is also an option," Slot stated.

"This match is always special. But whether it's the last at the old stadium or the first at the new one, that makes it even more special. They are in a very good position right now. It's always special, but you can add another one or two percent on top because this will be the first derby at their new stadium. The crowd didn't affect me last season; the referee's decisions did. Last season was my first Merseyside derby. I think their fans will be loud, as will ours. I think it's not the stadium itself, but the players who make the difference. The fans can certainly help," the Dutchman added regarding the upcoming derby.

Slot added that Joe Gomez, who came on as a substitute against PSG but was replaced 20 minutes later, will miss the derby due to another injury.