Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking ahead of the Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace at Wembley on Sunday
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot, head coach of Liverpool during a pre-season training session at AXA Training Centre on July 18, 2025 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot during a pre-season Liverpool training session at AXA Training Centre
(Image: Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Arne Slot believes Jeremie Frimpong can prove a replacement for Mohamed Salah later this season as he detailed the reasons for recruiting the Holland international. Frimpong was the first signing of a busy summer for the Reds when making a £29million switch from Bayer Leverkusen in June.
While ostensibly filling the gap left by Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure to Real Madrid, Jeremie Frimpong has primarily been used during the pre-season programme in an attacking role with his first start in defence coming in the 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao on Monday evening.
Liverpool could be without Salah for up to 10 games in all competitions around Christmas and New Year due to Africa Cup of Nations commitments with Egypt.
And Slot admits the impending absence of last season's leading scorer and Ballon d'Or contender was a factor in Frimpong's arrival.
"We definitely thought about that and brought in Jeremie Frimpong as we think he can play as a right-back but also as a right winger," said the Reds boss.
"We thought about the fact we are going to miss Mo for a maximum of six Premier League games, which is quite a lot in the Premier League when you see how well he did last season.
"Signing Jeremie Frimpong was for multiple reasons, one of them was that he could replace Mo if he's not there.
"But we have other options for me to replace Mo with as well."
As Premier League winners, Liverpool are in action on Sunday in the traditional curtain-raiser to the season when they take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace at Wembley, their final game before their top-flight opener at home to Bournemouth next Friday.
Alexis Mac Allister returned to action last week after two months out through injury.
And Slot has explained how the Argentina international is continuing to build up to full match sharpness.
"He will be in the squad," said the Liverpool head coach.
"He was out for two months or a bit longer as we didn't play him in the last few games of last season. He has trained with us a week now.
"He played 30 minutes, 45 minutes so that's not a situation where you would now play a player for 90 minutes.
"Starting is possible, but definitely not for 90 minutes."