Liverpool

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He confirmed defender Giovanni Leoni has torn his anterior cruciate ligament and "will be out for around a year".

• He said 18-year-old Leoni is "not in a good place" as "it's very hard to take" getting injured on your debut. Slot added: "There is never a positive side, but he is still so young and he has so many years still to go after he recovers from a terrible injury."

• The club are checking the rules with Uefa but it is likely Federico Chiesa will take the young Italian's place in the Reds' Champions League squad.

• Alexander Isak will feature but Slot feels "90 minutes, depending on the pace of the game, will be a bit too much" for the striker still.

• On Hugo Ekitike, who will be suspended for the game after receiving a red card for two bookable offences against Southampton: "It wasn't very smart what he did and he recognised that straight away. He's young. Players of all ages make mistakes and that is what he did."

• Slot dismissed rumours Ekitike had been fined and said: "No discipline means I spoke to him. You are allowed at this club to make a mistake without getting fines."

• On Rio Ngumoha signing his first professional contract: "The good thing is that if you are a youngster playing at Liverpool you are playing with players better than what you are. That helps to keep you grounded and for you to know the steps."

• More on the 17-year-old winger: "He's a player who constantly wants to improve, but if he trains with Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Chiesa, then he feels there is still a step to make to get to their level and then it's about being as consistent as those players. That is the hardest part."

• On Saturday's opponents Crystal Palace: "They haven't lost in 17 games now so they are a tough team to beat. They have an enormous discipline and intensity. They have 10 outfield players who work so hard to stop the other team from scoring."

• He said his side "have the quality to score goals" but "it's not easy to create" against Palace, so they will need to be "smart" and take their chances.

Listen to more from Slot on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Crystal Palace v Liverpool on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday from 15:00 BST

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We asked how excited you are by Liverpool's 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha signing a professional contract and what advice you would give him.

Here are some of your comments:

Callum: I am over the moon with this. He is such an exciting young talent with such a high ceiling. If we give him the game time needed then he will be England's next left winger and Liverpool's.

Neil: Don't compare yourself against anyone, young man. Just be humble, hard working and listen to the leaders in the club. Trust that they will develop you and don't think too far ahead. Good luck - you have a lot of potential, but that is all it is at the moment.

Dave: Too much may be expected of him but I know that he will be coached correctly. I hope that he is allowed to live his life undisturbed.

Jim: You are hugely talented but keep grounded. Listen to you manager, coaches and team-mates, but remember that your spontaneity has its place too. It's about being great consistently not just in the odd game. Lastly, just remember that it's all about your team and not just about you.

Mike: Rio has an exceptional talent, is a joy to watch and an exciting prospect. All I would say to him is: stay relaxed, keep it fun and enjoy the journey.

Joe: Lots of attackers are quick and a lot are incredibly skilled too. Ngumoah has the rarest of the skills needed to be a great attacker - he's assured. He appears to have more time on the ball than most. I wouldn't dare to give him any advice. He clearly sees the game better than a lot of professionals, never mind amateurs like me. I'm simply going to watch and enjoy.

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Wayne Rooney says Hugo Ekitike's celebration which saw him sent off for a second yellow card against Southampton was "refreshing" despite being "silly".

The Liverpool forward took his shirt off after scoring a late winner and will now be suspended for Saturday's visit to Crystal Palace.

"Sometimes you have the emotion of football - sometimes when you score a goal you do get carried away and he's probably forgot he was on a yellow card I'd imagine," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney show.

"But it's silly if you're on a yellow card and you take your top off. All the players know you get booked for taking your top off.

"He's doing really well and it's probably a shootout for him and [Alexander] Isak to play and he's giving Isak the chance to come in and try and take his place because at the minute, he's scoring goals and he's in a good place so I'm sure he'll be devastated."

Asked about the nature of the celebration, Rooney added: " Don't you think that's refreshing?

"We've criticised teams for not playing strong teams and not wanting to really compete in the League Cup. You've got a player who's playing really well, he's just come into Liverpool, scoring goals and he's showing that passion and emotion of scoring a late goal in the League Cup.

"I think that's quite refreshing really, from where the Carabao Cup competitions have been in recent years.

"I'm not defending it because it is silly, but I'm saying what we've seen over recent years with VAR and players scoring goals and waiting to celebrate and stuff, I think it's actually refreshing to see someone celebrating a goal.

"He's been caught up in the emotion of scoring a goal and he'll probably regret it now, but I still think it's nice when you see that raw emotion when someone scores a goal."

Listen the full episode on BBC Sounds

Liverpool are hoping to sign France international Dayot Upamecano, 26, when his contract expires in the summer but Real Madrid are also interested in the Bayern Munich defender. (Bild - in German and subscription required), external

The Reds are also hoping to tie France defender Ibrahima Konate, 26, down to a new contract amid interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. (TBR Football), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Liverpool's teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha has signed his first professional contract with the club.

The 17-year-old joined the Reds academy set-up from Chelsea in September 2024 and has already made five senior appearances for Arne Slot's side, most memorably when he netted a 100th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory at Newcastle United in August on his Premier League debut.

So, how excited are you about Ngumoha's future in comparison to great young names of the past - Fowler, Owen, Sterling, etc?

And if you could offer a new professional player one crumb of advice from fan to player, what would it be?

Get in touch with your views here

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Ryan Gravenberch flourished as Liverpool's holding 'number six' last season and, while that is still his designated role, Arne Slot is allowing greater freedom this term to maximum effect.

While his defensive numbers on tackles, clearances and winning possession are almost identical to last season, Gravenberch has been getting on the ball in central areas higher up the pitch in this campaign.

He did not score a league goal in 37 appearances last season, but already has two in four appearances this season, including the opener in the Merseyside derby win against Everton at Anfield.

In Liverpool's 1-0 win at Burnley Gravenberch had four shots and created four chances. In contrast, there were 11 league games last season in which he did not have a shot or create a chance. He has done so in all four games this time.

Former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport: "He has been Liverpool's best and most important player this season.

"He missed the first game at home to Bournemouth and also the Community Shield against Crystal Palace. They looked quite wide open in the Bournemouth game because of his absence.

"When he came back in you could see the difference. He has attributes very few midfielders have, which is brilliant spatial awareness plus the ability to glide past people.

"There are not many central midfield players who can carry the ball through the lines. Most midfielders are passers through the lines.

"He is a terrific passer, but his great body movement allows him to let the ball run across him, then he has that great athleticism, which allows him to glide past people effortlessly."

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Following the injury to Giovanni Leoni, we asked if you think Liverpool need to sign a centre-back in the January transfer window.

Here are some of your comments:

Dan: Joe Gomez's performance against Southampton shows that we need to sign another centre back. Endo can cover, but picking up Marc Guehi for a reduced fee in January seems to be the logical option.

Steve: I would have gone back in for Guehi anyway. Now it's imperative we get a centre-half through the door in January.

Olly: We have made our intentions regarding Guehi very clear. We might have to bite the bullet and go for him in January rather than wait until the summer now, but there will be a lot of competition for his signature.

Steve: It was inevitable that one of our centre-backs would get injured this season. In truth, we were all probably expecting it to be Gomez. Putting all our eggs into the Guehi basket was an uncharacteristic error by Liverpool. Yes, we need to strengthen that position, but we needed to before Leoni's injury.

Dave: We definitely need more defensive options. My prediction is that we are likely to lose the title because of these issues. If we are still in contention for the title in January, we will need a minimum of two quality central defenders.

James: Would say if we don't want to enter the market in January then we need to look at the free-agent market. It's the one position where we are significantly weakest after our main two.

Paul: More important than ever to get not just Guehi but another centre-back in January. Anything happens to Konate and Van Dijk and our season could be over.

Henrik: There is no doubt that we now need to add to our defensive options and, unfortunately, Crystal Palace will know this too. The injury to Leoni may have increased the price for Guehi by quite a bit!

Gary: This is why we needed Guehi. We are now only one centre-back injury away from a disaster. I'd go back for Guehi in January, surely Palace will want to cash in before he leaves for nothing?

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Giovanni Leoni has spoken for the first time since he picked up an injury on his Liverpool debut on Tuesday.

"I want to sincerely thank every single person who has shown me support in this difficult moment," the Italian wrote on Instagram.

"It wasn't the debut I had always dreamed of, but I will give everything to be back playing in this magical stadium as soon as possible. Thank you so much!"

Sources have indicated the centre-back has damaged his ACL, which would probably rule him out for most - if not all - of the rest of the season.

It leaves Reds manager Arne Slot with just three recognised centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

So how are you feeling about the defensive options? Do Liverpool need to move in the January transfer market to reignite interest in Marc Guehi - whose switch to Anfield collapsed on deadline day - or is there another defender on your radar? Or is there sufficient cover?

Get in touch with your views here

Bayern Munich are considering offering 23-year-old France winger Michael Olise a new contract after he was linked with a move to Liverpool. (Liverpool Echo), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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The fourth-round fixtures of the EFL Cup have been confirmed:

• Arsenal v Brighton

• Grimsby Town v Brentford

• Swansea City v Manchester City

• Newcastle United v Tottenham

• Wrexham v Cardiff City

• Liverpool v Crystal Palace

• Wolves v Chelsea

• Wycombe v Fulham

Ties to be played in the week of 27 October

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Federico Chiesa says manager Arne Slot can likely see he is "better physically and mentally" compared to last season, creating an enhanced trust in what he can deliver.

Chiesa was instrumental as Liverpool saw off Southampton in Carabao Cup competition on Wednesday, delivering two assists in the 2-1 win.

It means he has scored one league goal in a total of 51 minutes on the pitch this season, while contributing with his brace of assists in his only cup outing of the campaign.

Asked about a contrast to last season, where Chiesa played only 108 league minutes throughout the campaign, the Italian said: "I do feel better, in terms of physical ability. I think I have played more this season than last season combined I think. So I am happy and have to continue on this path.

"It was really difficult but I think I wasn't at the level that the coach wanted me to play. I understood his choices last year. This year is different, I feel better physically and mentally. The coach I think sees that and has given me more opportunities.

"I am glad I have made contributions in the Premier League. That is what the coach wants and what the other players want. To play for Liverpool you have to make the difference. I have to keep on working hard to get more chances in the future."

Chiesa struck a key goal from the bench on the opening night of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign to nudge Liverpool past Bournemouth.

It sparked wild scenes on The Kop, where the Italian is frequently serenaded with one of the catchiest songs in recent memory at Anfield.

Asked about the song and support, he replied: "Since last year I wanted to give something back. I want to keep on giving them something back. The support they gave to me every match is fantastic. I like the chant. I have to give them back more because the support is just amazing.

"Of course I can play more in the Carabao Cup but I want to show the manager I can also play in the Premier League. In the first games he gave me chances and I think I showed I can help the team.

"I play for a top club. Maybe top three in the world. It's Liverpool, of course they are going to buy top players and the competition is high. If I didn't want competition I would go and play in another team but here there is competition and I want to play here. I think competition at the end of the day helps you be a better player."

Listen to Chiesa speak to reporters here

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We asked for your views on Hugo Ekitike's red card against Southampton and Arne Slot's comments on the incident.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Philip: I agree with Slot, but we're all human and we saw Slot lose his emotions last season on a memorable occasion. Just a bizarre celebration, caught up in the emotion I guess and forgot about the first card which was equally stupid. Pressure of Isak perhaps?

Michael: That is one of the stupidest acts I've seen from a player. He was on a booking for being petulant and knowing he was on a booking carried out an unnecessary and stupid act and picked up a second yellow. The club should fine him for that.

Anthony: It was in the moment. We all do stuff that we regret moments after doing it - his happened to be in front of thousands and millions on the TV. I hope he has learnt a valuable lesson in an environment where it hopefully has no lasting impact.

Liam: Ekitike has let himself down massively but I don't feel the pressure of signing Isak has played any part in it at all. I agree with the comments from Slot and Robbo and I do feel he'll learn from this. A poor judgement from Hugo which took the sparkle off another reliable performance in attack for Liverpool.

Paul: I totally agree with Arne. Ekitike showed an incredible immaturity and lack of control. He is a fine player who works hard for the team but this action lets the team down. He should be fined by the club and reminded that what he does on the field is often copied by the young kids who watch him!

Carl: Ekitike has shown with a few of his celebrations that he wants to make sure people know his name because Isak is there and being talked about. Quite immature and possibly a bad character trait. Worrying.

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Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

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Alexander Isak has had his playing time carefully managed since joining Liverpool.

His two starts have been in cup competitions, playing 58 minutes against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and 46 minutes against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.

He has made just one appearance in the Premier League for the Reds, coming off the bench in their 2-1 win against Everton at the weekend.

Isak's half-time departure against the Saints was most probably because Arne Slot already had one eye on this weekend's game as well. He may have already been planning to give him more minutes at Selhurst Park.

As well as scoring against Southampton, he also had a big chance early on but fired straight at goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

"I feel good," Isak told ITV. "Every game I play is very helpful and gets me in better shape."

When asked if he feels ready to start, he replied: "It is difficult to say. It is a mixture of fitness-wise and football-wise.

"I feel good and feel I'm in a shape to make a difference."

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Former Crystal Palace winger Jobi McAnuff was unimpressed with Hugo Ekitike after the Liverpool forward was shown a second yellow card for taking his shirt off in celebrating the winning goal against Southampton:

"Absolutely ridiculous - everybody knows the rules by now," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I'm all for emotion and passion and getting caught up in the moment but that wasn't really it.

"It's a pretty routine goal - the ball gets laid across the box to him and it's a really simple finish. "I just don't know what has gone through his head to take his shirt off and then hold it up to the crowd.

"It's a really poor decision from him."

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton was even less cagey with his criticism, branding the action "sheer stupidity".

"Everybody knows if you take your shirt off you get a yellow card so to get a second yellow card for doing that is just sheer stupidity," he said.

"He's been such an important player - what a start to his Liverpool career with important goals - but it's not great for Arne Slot and the team that he's now sitting out at the weekend."

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot speaking to ITV after the 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup: "Not our best performance.

"You can expect that if you play a complete new team. So many players that haven't played for a long time. There were positives, Giorgi Mamardashvili had a good game, Federico Chiesa and Giovanni Leoni had a good game and a first goal for Alexander [Isak] and another from Hugo [Ekitike].

"[There are] positives from the game but with how we played as a team - not taking anything away from Southampton because they played well - it wasn't our best performance."

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Speaking in his post-match news conference on Ekitike's red card, Slot added: "Needless? Yes. And it was stupid. The first one was already needless and to a certain extent, stupid, as you have got to control your emotions.

"I told him that if you score in the Champions League final in the 87th minute after outplaying three players and hitting it in the top corner I can maybe understand. He is like: 'This is all about me - what did I do'.

"But I am old-fashioned, I'm 47 and old. I never played at this level but did score a few goals and if I scored a goal like this, I'd have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa and said: 'This goal is all about you - this is not about me'.

"It's always the best to control your emotions. If you can't, do it in a way that doesn't lead to a yellow card."

What did you make of Ekitike's red card?

Will this cost him his place in the starting XI going forward?

And do you agree with Slot's comments?

Have your say

Liverpool are preparing to offer 23-year-old Netherlands midfielder Ryan Gravenberch a new long-term contract. (Talksport), external

The Reds have also been told they have next to no chance of persuading Crystal Palace to sell them England midfielder Adam Wharton, 21, in the January transfer window.

Finally, both Liverpool and Arsenal have been informed that 25-year-old Brazil winger Vinicius Junior's future is uncertain at Real Madrid. (TBR Football), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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