The peculiarity that has everyone worried except the coach, facing the next duel

Arne Slot, Liverpool manager, has expressed his calmness over the one-match touchline ban he will serve during the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Southampton. The Dutch coach has assured that, although he would prefer to be on the sidelines, he is confident he can still influence the team from the stands.

Slot: "Least impact is during the 90 minutes"

"If you're suspended in the Netherlands you're not allowed in the dressing room or with the media. This is a lighter version of a suspension," said Slot. "I would say I'm used to it, but it's the first time I've been suspended. I can still do the things I want to do. The least impact you have on your team is during the 90 minutes and the biggest is during half-time and before the match."

Liverpool aiming to retain trophy

Despite Slot's absence on the touchline, Liverpool are in high spirits. The Reds are top of both the Premier League and the Champions League, and they are looking to retain the Carabao Cup title they won last season. "This already happened last season when this club won this competition," said Slot. "So I'm not surprised that with the quality we have we are competing for these three trophies at the moment, and the fourth (the FA Cup) starts in January."

Southampton in crisis

Liverpool's opponents, Southampton, are going through a difficult period. The Saints have been knocked out of the League Cup and are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. "It's difficult to say what we can expect in terms of formation, in terms of personnel, but what we do know is that we have to play an away game against Southampton, against eleven players," said Slot.

Positive news for Liverpool

Despite the injuries, Slot has some good news. Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa will get minutes, while Kostas Tsimikas is close to returning. "Wata hasn't played much, but fortunately for us he plays for his national team. The few times he can play in the League Cup also help him to maintain his rhythm. Hopefully (Chiesa) will get minutes. He won't play 90 minutes. It's a game where not all of our starters will start. We have to balance..." said the Dutch coach.