Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson set to return for Wolves clash
Slot reflects on Liverpool's 'positive start' to the season
Arne Slot speaks ahead of Liverpool's trip to Wolves in the Premier League.
LIVERPOOL, England, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson will be available for Saturday's Premier League game at Wolverhampton Wanderers, said manager Arne Slot who was quick to praise his replacement Caoimhin Kelleher and the enviable depth of his squad overall.
Kelleher played in Liverpool's 3-0 league win over Bournemouth last weekend and Wednesday's 5-1 League Cup third round thrashing of West Ham United while Alisson recovered from a muscle injury.
"We think he is (ready to return)," Slot said of the Brazilian. "He trained yesterday for part of our session, we expect him to do the whole session today.
"We're really happy, but I want to emphasise we did really well with the two games with (Kelleher). Another example of where we have two or three good options in some positions."
Liverpool, second in the league standings, trail champions Manchester City by a point and have just one loss across all competitions in a strong start to Slot's tenure.
The team's depth poses some tough questions for the new manager. Slot rotated the squad against West Ham due to the gruelling match schedule, with Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota staking their claim for more playing time with two goals apiece.
"For me, it says two things," Slot said of his attacking options. "The players have a lot of quality and the team are always creating chances for the players that are selected for that game.
"Because we have so much quality, we can create assists or goals."
Slot was able to rest Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai on Wednesday, but the trio are expected to feature against Wolves, who are languishing at the bottom of the table on a single point from five matches.
"I don't think it represents how they (Wolves) have played, they have had very difficult fixtures and you have to take this into account," Slot said.
"I've watched some of their games, they should have got more than they got. They will be fine at the end of the season." (Reporting by Lori Ewing)
Game Information
English Premier League Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +8 | 13 |
| Liverpool | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +9 | 12 |
| Aston Villa | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +3 | 12 |
| Arsenal | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | +5 | 11 |
| Chelsea | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +6 | 10 |
| Newcastle United | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 10 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | +4 | 9 |
| Nottingham Forest | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | +2 | 9 |
| Fulham | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +2 | 8 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +4 | 7 |
| Manchester United | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Brentford | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 6 |
| AFC Bournemouth | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 5 |
| West Ham United | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -4 | 4 |
| Leicester City | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| Crystal Palace | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 3 |
| Ipswich Town | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -5 | 3 |
| Southampton | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -7 | 1 |
| Everton | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -9 | 1 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -9 | 1 |
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