Liverpool’s luck with injuries has been nothing short of atrocious over the last two seasons, and this will be a significant challenge for Arne Slot as he takes charge of the team. In his first interview as head coach, Slot expressed confidence in building on last season’s performance and improving their points tally. One major factor that hindered Liverpool’s progress last season was the extensive injury list, which forced players to be overplayed and ultimately resulted in fatigue towards the end of matches.
To put this into perspective, Liverpool had 22 senior players miss games due to injury in the 2023/24 season, accumulating a total of 362 missed games. The previous season saw 23 players sidelined with at least one fitness issue, leading to a total of 308 missed games. These numbers are staggering and clearly unsustainable. Jurgen Klopp had to rely on a large number of players, with 35 and 33 individuals featuring in the previous two campaigns. Consequently, 62.8% and 69.9% of the squad respectively missed at least one match due to injury.
While these injury woes have provided opportunities for young players, they have also hindered consistency and the team’s pursuit of silverware. In the 2023/24 season, Liverpool dropped off towards the end, allowing Manchester City and Arsenal to compete for the title until the final day. This can be partly attributed to the fact that both City and Arsenal had significantly fewer player injuries throughout the season, with only 14 individual injuries each.
Addressing this issue will be a top priority for Arne Slot. While there are some injury-prone players in the squad, the emphasis on intensity in training and matches under Klopp meant that the medical department had to operate at an elite level. This approach will not change under Slot’s leadership, but there is an opportunity to adopt a different approach. Ruben Peeters, who has been appointed as the first-team lead physical performance coach, will play a crucial role in injury prevention, working closely with Slot.
Peeters has previously worked with Klopp on “microbiome manipulation,” a method that explores how gut health can enhance sporting performance. At Feyenoord, they also prioritized monitoring players’ sleeping patterns to optimize their performance on matchdays, resulting in a low injury rate for the Dutch side. Slot, known for his attention to detail, is likely to take note of Liverpool’s recent injury history and work closely with Peeters to implement similar strategies.
Improvements in injury management will be vital for Liverpool in the upcoming season. With the appointment of Ruben Peeters and Arne Slot’s commitment to addressing this issue, there is hope that the team can achieve better results and avoid the injury woes that have plagued them in recent years.