Arne Slot had two clear favourites throughout Liverpool’s last run of matches, which saw him use a total of 24 players.
Liverpool started their run of seven games in 21 days after the September break with four successive victories in three different competitions, conceding in all but one.
Then came a steep drop in results with three defeats in succession to leave a cloud hanging over the team while domestic action is again put on pause.
Slot has spoken more openly about rotation this season with the bigger picture in mind, plus the need to manage minutes for players who came into the season undercooked.
But with that in mind, it is evident who is first in Slot’s plans and who remains firmly on the periphery, with the total minutes over the last seven games also indicating who may soon need a break:
The graph (above) shows players listed from the most to least minutes since the win at Burnley and the six games that followed.
Clear divide from top to bottom
Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai (540 mins) were the only two to play the full 90 minutes in every game, with the exception of one (Southampton in the Carabao Cup), with Ryan Gravenberch (512) not far behind.
The midfield duo are two of the first names on the teamsheet, and it is no surprise to see them at the top of the list, but it is concerning when you also factor in their involvement for their countries – flagging the need for rest in the games to come.
The management of Alexis Mac Allister (311), Alexander Isak (312) and Conor Bradley (318) is also obvious as Slot continues to offer reminders of their respective disrupted summers.
“I think I explained this many times, is that there are a few players from us that missed pre-season so you simply cannot play them every single [game],” Slot said after the defeat at Galatasaray.
“That means that it is not always that I want to rotate but sometimes I need to because a player is not ready to play three times 90 minutes in seven or eight days.”
It does, however, mean the right-back position has somewhat fresher legs than elsewhere, should Slot look beyond Szoboszlai, with Bradley easing back in and Jeremie Frimpong (229) still adjusting.
There has not been many opportunities, however, for Wataru Endo (94), Joe Gomez (90) and Federico Chiesa (124), despite form from others suggesting they should have received more opportunities, particularly in the case of the latter two.
Curtis Jones (235), meanwhile, only played 37.3 percent of minutes over the last seven games and he ought to come into more consideration after a two-game absence due to an injury sustained against Arsenal.
Finally, while Isak (312) and Hugo Ekitike (300) are being rotated effectively up top, Cody Gakpo (406) has played 64.4 percent of the minutes on the left wing, with competition not as fierce for his spot.
With a few injuries and scares for others emerging over the last run of matches, Slot faces further challenges in keeping his side fresh while also finding the consistency needed for improved performances and results.
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