It’s clear which Liverpool player can be Arne Slot’s ‘creative’ solution at full-back as injury problems continue

Add as preferred source on Google

Liverpool have some issues in their defence as they head into a busy period of the season.

The Reds have so far managed well amid some mounting injury problems and sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.

But the difficulty level is not changing for Liverpool. Away games against Newcastle and then Everton represent a continuation of a tough-looking schedule.

And if the matches themselves weren’t tricky enough, then Arne Slot’s job has been made more difficult by a few poorly timed injuries at the back.

Both Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley look set to miss the rest of 2025, meaning that Joe Gomez is now the first-choice centre-back and second choice right-back in the Liverpool squad.

Kostas Tsimikas will miss the next two games as well, meaning that Slot may need to call on an unexpected option in both full-back positions this week.

Wataru Endo can be Liverpool’s ‘creative’ full-back

As if things weren’t delicate enough for Slot in the full-back areas, both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are – for different reasons – needing to be managed.

As a result, it seems very likely that Slot will have to do something unexpected at some point over the next two matches.

On Sunday against Man City, the Liverpool head coach put Jarell Quansah on at right-back to rest Alexander-Arnold’s legs. And speaking in his pre-Newcastle press conference, Slot spoke about finding other ‘creative’ solutions.

“It depends on the result if people judge it as smart! But we have to be creative, maybe that’s a better word to use,” he said.

READ MORE: Whether Federico Chiesa is expected to be in Liverpool’s squad to face Newcastle

“For the moment we cannot use Trent, last weekend against City we didn’t think it was smart to play Trent for 90 minutes after his injury and it’s probably going to be the same tomorrow and Saturday. So, we have to be creative but playing Jarell is not exactly creative because he is able to play there.”

If playing Quansah at right-back is not creative, then sticking Wataru Endo there certainly would be.

However, the 31-year-old is rugged defensively, decent enough on the ball and, despite his slight lack of pace, still has the engine to get up and down the wing.

Endo next in-line at right-back

While it seems likely that Alexander-Arnold will start both of Liverpool’s next two games, Slot has hinted that someone will need to take over at some stage of both games.

It remains to be seen whether this is Quansah, but with Gomez perhaps needing to be managed a little too, the 21-year-old may yet be needed at centre-half.

As a result, we think Endo should be – and probably will be – next in line for the right-back position.

The Japan captain is a more intelligent footballer than he often gets credit for and you can bet that he would do his absolute best to carry out Slot’s instructions.

Alexander-Arnold he is not, but when you really think about it, Endo has the qualities to be a steady right-back. He also needs minutes. This would be a way to get them to him.

What to do at left-back may be a slightly more puzzling question, but Endo could probably do that, too if push came to shove.