Liverpool Workload Management Woes Amid Busy Period Giving Boss Arne Slot 'Sleepless Nights'!

Last Updated:February 13, 2026, 21:16 IST

Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at home against top-flight rivals Brighton will be Liverpool's third game in a busy week for the Merseyside club.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is struggling to manage his squad’s workload, which is keeping him awake at night as the Premier League champions have had only four senior players on the bench for their last five matches due to four long-term injuries.

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has returned from suspension, but Slot might be without Wataru Endo for the rest of the season after the latter suffered a serious ankle injury during Wednesday’s league win at Sunderland.

Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at home against top-flight rivals Brighton will be Liverpool’s third game in a week.

“It’s another challenge," said Slot at his pre-match press conference.

“It took me a long time to get to sleep last night because I was constantly thinking about my options for the line-up and what I should do.

“Do you play the same players again, or is it time for others, but which others and in which position? I need another 24 hours to decide on my line-up."

Slot faces a particular issue at centre-back, where captain Virgil van Dijk has shouldered the main burden due to a lack of options.

The Netherlands captain, who has played every minute in the Premier League and Champions League, has scored twice in his last five matches, including the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Sunderland.

“Vital of course because if he is not playing, there are no options left at centre-back," Slot said about Van Dijk’s importance to Liverpool.

“He has been fit every time, and I’ve previously said how big of an accomplishment that is for a player of his age because he’s not the youngest anymore and plays every three days.

“It shows you what he does off the pitch for recovery but also his mental strength, that he can not only stay with the team but also deliver very good performances and lead the team on and off the pitch by example."

News sports football Liverpool Workload Management Woes Amid Busy Period Giving Boss Arne Slot 'Sleepless Nights'!

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