Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has doubled down on his squad selection and playing style despite a poor run of form for the Premier League champions.

Wednesday night’s 3-0 home loss to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup was Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven matches in all competitions, with the Reds also seven points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Slot was criticised for the team he put out against Palace, with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike among the host of first-team players left out of the matchday squad.

But Slot said on Friday – ahead of the home game against in-form Aston Villa on Saturday – that those changes were necessary as Liverpool have been unluckier with injuries than they were last season.

“I’m happy with the quality of the team. But I’m also convinced by the strategy and policy we have,” said Slot in his press conference.

“What makes it ‘the issue’ – not all of them have had a proper pre-season. When three or four are injured, you go down to having 16 players.

“I am a firm believer in 21 or 22 players are enough. But you have to keep them fit as we did last season. We are struggling to keep them fit this season for, in my opinion, obvious reasons.

“Alex [Isak] came to us on September 1. A few others missed out in pre-season. It has been more difficult than last season to keep them more available. When players are not available, it [workload] comes down more to the same players.

“Maybe last season we were more lucky [with injuries], this season we are more unlucky. No excuses for results, but we have had to play a lot of away games with only two days in between. That would have been difficult last season, and for any player that has been fit this season through pre-season, but it has not been the case this season.

“Then you have to manage it. The upcoming week is three games in eight days. It has nothing to do with squad depth, but it has how we have run through the season in terms of injuries, availability and playing every two or three days.

“That has been something what every team has. It’s not an excuse for us. What was a bit different than last season is last season they all had one year Premier League experience as a minimum – and they all stayed fit.

“Now they weren’t all fit from the start, then some players have to play more than you want them to do, which is a risk for them getting injured as well.

“But it is what it is. We have more than enough players on Saturday to get a result, to play the game on Tuesday and Sunday. But I have to take care of a few of them. That’s why I decided not to play seven or eight players a few days ago.”

Slot confirmed that Ryan Gravenberch could come back into the team to face Villa on Saturday after returning to training on Thursday, but Curtis Jones and Alexander Isak are “99.9 per cent” out.

‘It goes against my beliefs’ – Slot on playing style

Slot also admitted he will not change Liverpool’s playing style, amid this poor run of games.

He said after last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Brentford that his side are struggling to deal with long balls and low blocks.

Brentford also managed 17 shots on the Liverpool goal – the most they have managed all season – but Slot says his side are not going to play more defensively.

“It [going defensive to be less open] does go against my beliefs,” he said. “But I’ve won games in the past – Man City away for example [last season] – where it went against my beliefs but it was necessary to play it in the second half.

“I would be more than open to adapt in certain situations. But I don’t think the story is we concede chance after chance after chance and we’re too open. It’s not like this.

“Maybe against Palace when in the first half we should have be 2-0 down or 3-0 down, maybe Brentford too. But all the other games we deserved more than what we got.

“We barely concede chances – even against Palace [in midweek] with the team I put out. I think they only conceded three big chances – and all three went in because they were big.

“I don’t see us conceding a lot of chances, so I don’t see a reason to change our playing style completely. But we need to do better at not conceding goals.”

Have Slot’s contract talks stalled?

Slot also addressed rumours over his Liverpool future in an eventful press conference.

Reports emerged in midweek that the Dutchman was in talks with the club over an extension – but the recent run of poor form has led to those negotiations being parked for now.

Slot refused to be drawn on those rumours – but did admit his immediate focus is getting the team’s results back on track.

“That was the last question I was expecting. My focus is fully back on getting Liverpool back to winning ways. That’s my first answer.

“The second answer is: contract talks – if they are even there – we never speak about this here [in press conferences]. Let us first start to win again. That’s where my main focus is on.”

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