Liverpool boss Arne Slot reveals fresh Florian Wirtz concern

Arne Slot has revealed that Liverpool attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz was not completely fit ahead of their game against Leeds United.

The Reds kept their fourth position intact after earning a frustrating 0-0 draw against the Whites at Anfield on Thursday night, where they were particularly poor in the second half.

While the Reds are now undefeated in their last eight games across all competitions, there is a feeling that Slot's men have yet to find their natural fluency or momentum.

Wirtz has finally come good after enjoying an excellent December, but he looked off the pace against the Whites and was taken off in the 66th minute.

While Liverpool fans have been left frustrated by Slot's decision, the Reds manager has explained the reason behind the substitution, which should worry the fanbase.

Slot issues Wirtz's concern

The Reds boss has revealed that the club are carefully managing Wirtz, who moved to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for around £116m, over fears of a hamstring injury.

The German international recently spoke of tiredness after Liverpool's 2-1 win over Wolves on December 27, and Slot and his staff are looking to protect him from picking up a serious injury.

"Florian only trained once this week because two days after the game, he felt his hamstring still a bit," said Slot, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

With games coming thick and fast, Slot cannot afford to lose a player of Wirtz's quality for a long period of time, especially when he has limited options in the forward department.

Liverpool's injury problems and need for new signings

Alexander Isak is expected to be out for a long spell, while Mohamed Salah is also unavailable due to his participation for Egypt at the AFCON.

Cody Gakpo's return to the side has come as a huge boost, while Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha remain the other attacking options for the Reds.

Slot, meanwhile, has confirmed that Joe Gomez could return to the side shortly, but the Reds should look to delve into the market and make necessary reinforcements, especially in defence and attack.