Liverpool secured a vital three points against Crystal Palace but suffered the cost of losing two key players to injury.
After a tight 1-0 win at Selhurst Park, manager Arne Slot expressed his concerns over the demanding schedule, particularly following a short 62-hour recovery window.
Liverpool’s recent performances in the early 12:30 PM kickoffs have shown improvement. Once seen as a challenging time slot for the team, they’ve managed to adapt and turn around their fortunes in these early matches. Slot, in a pre-match interview, took a pragmatic view of the early kickoff, stating, “I don’t find it that difficult to perform at that time.”
However, while performing well is one thing, avoiding injuries is another. The victory over Crystal Palace came with unfortunate setbacks as goalkeeper Alisson Becker and midfielder Alexis Mac Allister both sustained injuries. While Mac Allister’s situation is still under assessment, Alisson’s injury appears more serious, and he is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.
After the match, Slot voiced his frustration about the scheduling. Speaking to BBC Sport, he questioned the logic behind the quick turnaround: “Maybe the FA should reconsider scheduling an early kickoff for teams that played late on Wednesday. If you’ve had just over 60 hours to recover, an early away game doesn’t seem fair.”
Slot also acknowledged that rotating players might be an option, but injuries still seemed inevitable in such conditions. He added, “With Mac Allister, it was a bit unexpected. He came off at half-time and said something didn’t feel right, so we didn’t want to take any risks. As for Alisson, he’s clearly going to be out for a while.”
Brazil’s national team has already confirmed that Alisson will not join them during the international break, while Mac Allister is still set to travel with Argentina for further evaluation.
The Wednesday-Saturday Dilemma
Many fans may be wondering how Liverpool ended up playing in the 12:30 PM slot despite being in Champions League action just days earlier. The Premier League’s rule states that clubs playing in the Champions League on a Wednesday night cannot be selected for a Saturday lunchtime kickoff—unless they played at home that Wednesday.
Since Liverpool’s midweek fixture was at Anfield against Bologna, the rule did not apply, and they were eligible for the early Saturday game. However, this loophole raises questions. It seems reasonable that any team playing late on a Wednesday night, whether home or away, shouldn’t have to face an early kickoff just two days later.
While the current rule addresses some concerns, it still leaves teams vulnerable to the kind of injuries Liverpool suffered at Selhurst Park. As Slot suggests, this is something the FA may need to reconsider to protect player welfare and ensure fair competition.
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