Konate’s place in Liverpool’s starting XI to face West Ham on Sunday is anything but secure and Joe Gomez is a fit and ready-made replacement on the bench, should Slot decide to ring the changes. Andy Robertson was also deployed at centre-back in the clash with Crystal Palace earlier this season.
But Slot has remained tight-lipped on whether he will make wholesale changes for the match, saying: "Everyone trains with us every single day, and they can prove themselves in that moment. It's always a balance. There was a period where I lost, and I made a few changes and people complained that I made too many changes. Of course, I consider but I can not tell you the end decision of what I've considered for Sunday." Anything other than a victory for Slot on Sunday will pile even more pressure on the beleaguered boss ahead of a midweek visit from Sunderland in the Premier League.
And when pressed on what he can change to arrest the dreadful run of results, Slot added: "That's not so easy to say. It's normal to reflect on a game with decisions you have made. Maybe you do it a little bit more if you lose. In the end, it's about doing what this club is about. Keep fighting no matter how difficult it is. It would be nice if we rewarded ourselves in the moments we play well. People are focused on the parts we don't play well but there are large parts where we do play well."