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 said on Tuesday.
“It’s impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing for the league.”
A growing list of injuries has become a major concern for Slot, with centreback Joe Gomez sidelined after Saturday’s loss, and Ibrahima Konate also unavailable following the death of his father.
Centreback 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 centreback tomorrow there will not be a centreback. I can only play a midfielder as there are no centrebacks 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.”
"This club always wants to win the league before the season. But we are also aware of the fact we only did it twice in 30 years"
Arne Slot speaks on Liverpool's inconsistencies, and their goals for the season 🔴 pic.twitter.com/xLtvdohHJw
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 27, 2026
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, 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.”
Uefa Champions League, league phase final round:
Wednesday:
All 10pm SA time
AFC Ajax v Olympiacos (10pm)
Athletic Club v Sporting CP
Barcelona v FC Copenhagen
Leverkusen v Villarreal
Dortmund v Inter Milan
Club Brugge v Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt v Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester City v Galatasaray
Monaco v Juventus
Napoli v Chelsea
PSV Eindhoven v Bayern Munich
Union Saint-Gilloise v Atalanta
Arsenal v Kairat
Atletico Madrid v Bodo Glimt
SL Benfica v Real Madrid
Liverpool v FK Qarabag
Pafos v Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle
Reuters