Arne Slot explains Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak decision as plan for Liverpool pair outlined

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has explained his team selection for the Merseyside derby with Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak dropping to the bench for the Reds' game with Everton.

"Normally when you don't play a player I don't think there is any player that says, 'OK I understand your decision'," Slot told TNT Sports when he was asked about Isak.

"OK, maybe they understand it but they may have made a different one themselves.



I wouldn't be surprised if you ask him today that he would say it's the best choice for him not to start, but of course it is about match fitness.

Like I said, it's three games in seven days, not in eight days.

"This is Sunday, Wednesday, then Saturday.

This is one of the most intense games that we have to play, so we try to manage it during Burnley and Atletico.

"For today, I think Dominik Szoboszlai, who played both of those games as well, is more used to the intensity of the Premier League and this programme than Florian, who is coming from Germany.

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And Slot says that impacted his thinking as well.

"That was not only the thinking for today, that also happened in midweek," he said.

"Against Atletico you didn't see Mac Allister or Bradley, two players that didn't have the best pre-season, so we knew from the start, three games in seven days, with the third one being the most intense.



That game should see the likes of Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa and Jeremie Frimpong feature from the start off the back of them being on the bench here