'If you saw what happened' - Arne Slot makes Liverpool injury admission after Rodri blow

Arne Slot says Liverpool will need luck to keep Diogo Jota fully fit this season but revealed his staff have devised a plan to maintain the striker's long-term availability after his double in Wednesday's 5-1 win over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup. The Portugal international struck either side of half time to cancel out Jarell Quansah's own goal before Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo's brace sealed a passage to the fourth round.

Jota's tally for the campaign now sits at three after his opening-day effort at Ipswich Town and asked how he will ensure the former Wolves frontman is cleared to play for longer spells after such a torrid couple of years with injury issues, Slot accepted he needs some fortune.

But the Reds' head coach also explained how he and his backroom staff will work hard to keep key men on the pitch for longer periods this term after a campaign that was blighted by so many fitness problems last season under Jurgen Klopp.

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"How do we keep Diogo fit? Rotate!" Slot said. "I think we are trying to manage his minutes in the best possible way, but we also try to prepare him in the week and the months of pre-season to prepare them for so many games in the Premier League.

"But sometimes there are small margins and you can be unlucky as well. If you saw what happened with (Manchester City's) Rodri (ACL injury against Arsenal), that is so, so unlucky for him. So it is about preparing in the best possible way but in the end you need a bit of luck as well.

"But the players can be as professional as possible, live in the best way for their career and that is what they have done so far. And we as a staff prepare them to get them through without injuries.

"I think Diogo deserved [the goals], he played a lot of good games for us already and he is only on the scoresheet in the first game against Ipswich. But he has been important in every game, but a striker always wants to score goals, so I am pleased for him and he got two from the 10 position.

"He scored two really good goals and Cody I think it was 10 or 15 minutes before the end he cleared the ball from his own 18-yard box and that is also what he brings to the team.

"Apart from scoring two goals, I see him in training and the way he hits the ball around the 18 yard box with incredible speed, so I am not surprised to see him scoring like this and he scored a similar one last year against West Ham, so no surprise to see him score with the way he did. But it is also about them defending in their own box."

Slot added: "You always start to learn, not too much, only ask him about new players, I constantly told you guys how many quality players we had and you all knew and we showed that today we have many quality players.

"What pleased me most is a lot of new players don’t try to have a good individual performance, they try to work hard for the team, because there was a lot of desire to keep a clean sheet and as a result of that we had some good individual performances because of that."

Liverpool will travel to Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.