Speaking to TNT Sports in the aftermath of the victory, Slot dismissed suggestions that Ngumoha had suffered a serious setback. The Liverpool boss attributed the withdrawal to simple cramp, a natural consequence of a young body being pushed to match the intensity of senior competition.
“That's cramp, I hope. I expect it to be cramp,” Slot said, cutting a relaxed figure despite the scare.
Slot was keen to contextualise the "injury," noting that Ngumoha’s minutes are being carefully managed. In his previous two starts for the Reds this season, the winger completed 74 and 85 minutes respectively. The 73 minutes he managed against the Tykes falls right into that bracket of endurance he is currently building.
“[Ngumoha’s injury] is not so strange because he hasn't made that many minutes this season, and today he made 73. That's good for him, I think,” Slot explained.
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