Liverpool will likely be without striker Alexander Isak, manager Arne Slot said, when they travel to Brentford on Saturday looking to turn around their three-game Premier League losing streak.
The Sweden striker is "not too bad" but is a "question mark" after sustaining a groin injury in Wednesday's 5-1 Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who missed the Frankfurt match with an ankle issue, is also a doubt.
The Reds are third in the table after losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United, and Slot said his side must adapt to a changing tactical landscape, pointing to a shift in how opponents are approaching games against them.
"I try to tell (the players) that the main, main, main, main difference between this season and last season is the playing styles we face," Slot said today.
"We had to defend 178 long balls in (the first) seven games, and then the United game, we had to defend 59 long balls. That's different than the first half of last season."
Slot believes the key to breaking down low-block, direct teams lies in moments of individual brilliance or set pieces.
"The way to unlock it is a moment of magic, which we had in the first half of (last) season, a lot with Mo (Salah), or a set piece, which we had at Frankfurt as well," he said. "Two set pieces (goals from corners) unlocked the game for us."
He also defended his comments about United's tactics, saying they were meant as a compliment.
"When I tried to explain this in the media, it was actually more of a compliment for the other manager (Ruben Amorim), that he found the right answer to our playing style," Slot said. "But I think if I'm correct, that wasn't how people looked at it."
Jeremie Frimpong, who reaggravated a hamstring injury on Wednesday, will be out for the next couple games at least while goalkeeper Alisson Becker remains out.
Slot also insisted the last thing he is worried about is Salah ending his goal drought.
The Egypt international has not found the net in his last six matches for the club and has been missing his usual cutting edge.
He has just three goals this season, one of those a penalty, and was restricted to a 16-minute substitute appearance in Frankfurt.
However, there has been a decline in output since March with just five goals in 23 matches.
Wednesday's victory ended Liverpool’s worst run of results since 2016 and whether that was partly a result of Salah’s form or vice-versa remains a subject for debate, but Slot has no doubts.
"I don’t know if it’s sharpness or not. It’s so difficult, I could come up with a few reasons which I’m not sure are the reasons," said the Reds boss.
"In general in football players miss chances and Mo is a human being as well. We are not used to him missing chances, let alone a few in a row, but these things can happen.
"It’s easier to finish a chance if you are 3-1 up than if you are 1-0 down but maybe that is not true for him.
"But the main thing is Mo has always scored goals for our club and the last thing I worry about is Mo starting to score goals again.
"That is what he has done his whole life and that is what I expect him to do in the upcoming weeks and months for our club as well."
An influx of £450million (€516m) of new signings in the summer has led to some teething problems and Salah has been a victim as much as anyone.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid in the summer combined with injuries has seen Slot use three different right-backs already, including midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
"I think (Salah) has been in promising positions often enough for him to score goals but maybe with Trent even more – I don’t know," added the Dutchman.
"But in general for every player, if you have quite a few changes in your squad during the summer then everyone has to find new connections again.
"Mo is not an exception to this and it might have something to do with that.
"In an ideal world you play every game with the same team but it’s not realistic for a team which plays every three days. Even if you wanted to, it is not possible as Jeremie Frimpong has been in and out with injuries a few times, Conor Bradley has had injuries, let alone (Alexis) Mac Allister missed out on pre-season and so did Alex (Isak)."
Slot and Salah will hope the trip to Brentford could be the turning point.
The Bees are one of the 33-year-old forward’s favourite opponents, scoring six times in seven appearances.
Meanwhile Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has refused to be drawn into a war of words with Slot after his "smaller club" jibe amid the ongoing Alexander Isak saga.
Following victory over Frankfurt, Slot said Isak, who has one goal in eight appearances for his new club, was struggling because "you cannot compare a player who maybe hasn't trained or played in pre-season for a smaller club to then go to Liverpool".
Asked if he felt he had to go in to bat for Newcastle over Slot's "smaller club" remark given their recent re-emergence, Howe, whose side beat Liverpool in last season's Carabao Cup final, said: "I don't have to do that, I don't feel. But you obviously know what my answer would be."
He added: "I don't think that's wise, for me to get involved in those discussions, I think. Alex is no longer at this football club, so I won't comment on it."
Quite what Slot meant by his comment is open to interpretation, but Howe launched a fierce defence of the Magpies' care for their elite players.
He said: "The set-up here is very good. It is not perfect, we've got things to improve and to grow.
"But the owners here have developed the facilities since I've been here very, very well and you can see there is building work going on currently to hopefully deliver even better in the future.
"But I have no complaints. We've got elite athletes here, many of them, and touch wood, we're managing them pretty well at the moment."
