London [UK], March 6: Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insisted injuries had stunted the progress of his side but he still believed improvements had been made during the season.
It is a difficult claim to argue with any great success having just lost 2-1 at bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers - their ninth Premier League defeat of the campaign - following another dire performance.
Slot said the absence of playmaker Florian Wirtz, who could be on the bench for their return to Wolves for Friday's FA Cup fifth round after missing three matches with a back injury, was a case in point.
Liverpool have also missed British-record signing Alexander Isak since mid-December with a broken leg and ankle problem.
"I think you see individual players getting better and better, but progress has had setbacks because of injuries as well," said Slot.
"One of the players who is able to create a lot from open play is Florian Wirtz and unfortunately he got injured three games ago.
"Before that he was able to create a lot, the team had certain balance and then we had to adjust to it again. That has happened a lot to us this season.
"We are not the only team that finds it hard to create a lot of chances from open play. It is also the Premier League and the opposition we face and other teams face as well."
Set-pieces have been an obvious area of improvement since the start of the year, but Slot also pointed to the number of counter-attacks they were being subjected to, even if the first time Wolves broke free on Tuesday night they scored.
"I see improvement over there compared to the start of the season," he added.
"From all the ball possession bringing in more chances in some games I've seen improvement - but not all the games have brought us that." Slot will make changes for their second visit to Wolves, but played down the role Wirtz could have.
"He trained half-and-half with the team yesterday so he made the next step in his rehab," he said.
"Let's see where he is today and if he could then be available for a few minutes in the best scenario."
Injuries have been an issue, particularly in defence where Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both had their seasons ended prematurely while Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong have also been on the sidelines for large portions of time.
That has put additional strain on a squad which is not the largest, but Slot rejected suggestions they should have invested in greater depth when they spent £450m in the summer.
"It's the model that we don't have 25 players over here. Then it hurts even more if you have three or four long-term injuries at the moment," he said.
"I always knew when I came in here that this was the model and I'm really happy with that. That's the most simple answer I can give."
Source: Qatar Tribune
