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Liverpool's Slot eyes Champions League progress amid poor form, injury woe

 
 
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said his team's five-match winless run in the Premier League had dampened spirits ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash against Qarabag, despite their strong performances in Europe.
 
A victory over the Azeri side at Anfield would secure Liverpool a top-eight finish and a direct spot in the round of 16, avoiding the knockout playoffs.
 
Yet Saturday's 3-2 loss at Bournemouth saw the English champions drop to sixth in the Premier League, 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
 
"It is going to be really difficult to quiet outside noise with the position we are in the league," Slot told reporters on Tuesday.
 
"It's impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing for the league."
 
LIVERPOOL SHORT OF CENTRE BACKS
 
A growing list of injuries has become a major concern for Slot, with centre back Joe Gomez sidelined after Saturday's loss, and Ibrahima Konate also unavailable following the death of his father.
 
Centre back Giovanni Leoni has been out since September with a cruciate ligament tear, meaning captain Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool's only available senior central defender. Right back Conor Bradley is also recovering from knee surgery.
 
"For sure at centre back tomorrow there will not be a centre back. I can only play a midfielder as there are no centre backs available apart from Virgil," Slot said.
 
"It is not an easy balance to find but you can see with the recent injuries it is not a good balance, that is obvious."
 
But the manager added that left back Andy Robertson would be available despite recent media reports linking him with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
 
"It's hard to say anything definite in this world we are in but I expect him to stay," Slot said about the Scotland international.
 
★ QARABAG HARD TO BEAT – SLOT

Qarabag, who drew with Chelsea in November, clinched a late win over Eintracht Frankfurt last week to rekindle their hopes of progressing in the Champions League, and a win at Anfield would guarantee them a spot in the top 24 and a place in the knockout rounds.

"They have shown this season that they are a very good team and a hard team to beat. Chelsea they kept to 2-2," Slot said.
 
"If you look at our Champions League this season, we've had a lot of strong teams to face and have done really well but that's brought us some problems in the Premier League a few days later."
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