19 hours ago
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Arne Slot has shed light on his team selection for Liverpool's match against Chelsea, with Florian Wirtz named as a substitute. The Reds made a bold move in the summer transfer window by signing the 22-year-old German international for a then-record $156m.
Despite this, Wirtz has yet to make his mark in the Premier League this season, failing to score or assist. Similar to the Merseyside derby last month, he found himself warming the bench at Stamford Bridge.
Slot explained his selection strategy: "We play a lot of games and if you play a lot of games, I think it is quite normal - you see this everywhere around the world - that you do sometimes change one or two players.
"We try to pick the players based on the games. You can't compare the playing style of Palace to the style of Chelsea."
Regarding goalkeeper Giorgi Marmadashvili making his first Premier League start, Slot added: ""We don't have to do anything different when he or Alisson is in goal.
"What we have to do is protect the goalkeeper - Alisson was more involved in the last games that I would have liked. He's an experienced goalkeeper, so he'll be fine."
Following the midweek Champions League defeat to Galatasaray, Jamie Carragher urged Slot to drop Wirtz from the starting line-up.
"Right now I don't think the balance of the team is right and the obvious one that stands out is Florian Wirtz," he told CBS after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat.
"He's just not at the races at all. He's a young boy coming into a new league - he has got plenty of time to go as Liverpool player but right now I think he needs to come out of the team, Liverpool go back to what they were last season and then go from there and build some confidence, build some defensive stability. Because right now it is a mess."
Jamie Redknapp offered a defense of the German as he spoke on Sky Sports before the game. He said: "I can fully understand this decision because that midfield was fantastic last year.
“It has a little bit of everything, and Florian will become a top player for Liverpool, make no mistake.
“Everyone’s judging him miles too early - players need time. Sometimes players come into this league and they find it so easy, others, it takes a little bit of time.
“Ryan Gravenberch is a great example. It took him a year, now we’re all talking about him as one of the best midfield players in the world, and that’s how it can happen.”
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