Every word Arne Slot said on Alisson injury, Rio Ngumoha chances and double Liverpool boost

Arne Slot has spoken ahead of Liverpool taking on Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend, including offering an update on Alisson Becker's injury and Rio Ngumoha's chances

Arne Slot during a Liverpool press conference.(Image: Liverpool FC // YouTube)

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has previewed the weekend's visit of Tottenham, with the Reds boss hopeful that Alisson Becker will be fit enough to return after a muscle issue.

Slot also said that Rio Ngumoha is in contention for a start soon, and Federico Chiesa should be available after missing the Champions League defeat to Galatasaray through illness. This is every word he had to say.

Facing Tottenham at Anfield: "[Winning the league against Spurs last season] wasn't only special for me; a lot of people too. The big difference where we are now, it is clear and obvious, but it's a great memory. I am looking for to Sunday's game. Playing at Anfield is always something to look forward to. We have a point to prove; we lost the last two league and Champions League games."

Alisson Becker injury latest: "[Alisson] felt something in one of his muscles when he passed the ball. But, after we checked it, it was minor, so it didn't take long. The games [come] so fast he had to miss Galatasaray, but hopefully he is ready to play Sunday. If not, then definitely Galatasaray on Wednesday."

Alexander Isak and Federico Chiesa update: "[Isak] is still with the rehab team; he is not with the team yet. I expect [Chiesa] feels better now as he felt unwell the day before the game. We are now three or four days further ahead. He should be able to train today."

Liverpool's aims this season: "What I want is that I am able [to help] every single player get the maximum out of everything until the end of the season. That is the aim for me and the players, I am sure.

"It's the only way to get the maximum of what is in it for us. Sometimes we need a bit of luck, like the last-16 last year, penalties, so close to beating PSG and they went on to win it. So the margins are small, and we have to fight for them to make them bigger and bigger every day."

Slot retains the backing of the Liverpool board.(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Ryan Gravenberch contract: "[He's] another young player, which was signed very young as you know from our model and has the ability to grow. I think he is a great example of that. His first season was maybe not at the level as he was last season, but that is completely normal if you sign young players that have to adjust first to the Premier League and there's a lot to come from them.

"That has been our model even before I was here and that's still our model — signing younger players, who have got the chance here in this great environment with such great facilities and with so many great people working here to improve those players for them to develop. Then when their peak is coming, and that's usually when they are a bit older, they are still playing for us."

Players currently underperforming: "I believe that a good individual performances come from a good team performance. We were on it in the first 15 minutes and then there was a moment that changed the momentum of the game, conceding a set piece, not for the first time, and that is not what we are accepting.

"We don't think everything should be much worse than it was before, but we didn't play our best game of the season. I also saw for an away leg in Europe, we were able to generate enough chances to score a goal.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is hoping to go far in the Champions League.(Image: Yagiz Gurtug/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"More than another team might do away in the Champions League, but we have struggled with converting the chances we have and we have a bad cocktail of conceding chances and goals. If we cannot repair that every game will be difficult.

"But I have confidence we have quality players and the next two games are at home. I am really looking forward to playing twice at home now with the support from the fans that can make a massive difference."

Milos Kerkez form: "I see his form the same as two weeks ago. He played a good to decent game against Galatasaray, but also received a yellow card in an environment where we conceded a lot of soft free-kicks and yellow cards and the other team were really smart in addressing that.

"So it was too much of a risk to leave him on for a second yellow because he is always aggressive in his duels and some teams can be really smart if a player is on a yellow to create an atmosphere where he can get a second. We had Andy Robertson so we didn't risk it.

Milos Kerkez of Liverpool FC is in action during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Galatasaray A.S. and Liverpool FC at Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 10, 2026. (Photo by Yagiz Gurtug/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"I am trying to take things into account with the decisions I make. Milos didn't play badly. But he had a problem on a yellow with a referee who gave a lot of free-kicks to Galatasaray."

Premier League clubs struggling in Europe: "To jump to a conclusion after one game day is such a small sample size, so it is maybe not the smartest thing to do. Maybe after next week, it is a different conclusion. In general, it is not smart not to have a winter break.

"In Europe now, you face top teams. To jump to conclusions... the lack of a winter break, the Premier League not being as a high a level as we think, they are not the right conclusion to make. Let's judge after next week and then maybe it is still too early to say.

"If you are in the Champions League last 16, all the teams are very good and strong. Four out of five away from home, the margins were quite small from what I saw.

"The Arsenal margins were small and maybe it's weird, but I didn't see 3-0 coming for Man City v Real Madrid. PSG v Chelsea, people told me Chelsea were involved in that game, so jumping to conclusions after one game is usually not what I wanted to do."

Rio Ngumoha chances: "This season, we have treated him carefully. He cannot be on the pitch too many days in a row because of stress fractures that players of his age sometimes have, and have had at this club. Jayden Danns is an example of that.

"He could start for us. I said a month ago he would get more playing time and we have seen that with more minutes. He is definitely an option to start in one of the upcoming three games.

"For the fifth time this season, we play three games in seven days, with an early kick-off on Sunday against Brighton. We have been very lucky with that schedule this season!

"You need more than 11 players, and of course, the midweek game could be longer than 90 minutes. Every player who is fit has the chance to play in those games."