The attention of English football fans turns to the FA Cup this weekend.
The fifth round of football’s oldest cup competition takes place across the country but the Premier League’s top two teams will not be competing.
Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup in the previous round as Plymouth stunned the Reds with a 1-0 win as Arne Slot’s men simply did not show up on the day.
Slot made several changes to his Liverpool team for the trip to the Championship side, which backfired, resulting in pundits both criticising and defending the Dutch coach.
In hindsight, this has worked out for the Merseyside club as it has given several of its big players a chance to rest, however, it has also taken away precious minutes from fringe players.
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Liverpool’s FA Cup exit could have a big impact on Harvey Elliott’s future
Jurgen Klopp placed a lot of faith in Elliott and the midfielder rewarded the German coach by putting in some impressive displays in a red shirt.
That has not translated over to Slot with Jamie Carragher believing that the Liverpool boss doesn’t trust Elliott, amongst other stars on Merseyside.
The midfielder did not receive a minute of action against Newcastle on Wednesday, which left Elliott ‘angry and annoyed’ on the Liverpool bench.
Having played 90 minutes in both FA Cup games this season, this weekend would have been a chance for the 21-year-old to impress Slot, which the Dutch coach admitted this week.
In his press conference after the Newcastle game, Slot said: “I’m still a bit disappointed that we don’t play on the weekend.
“Of course, Mo [Salah] wouldn’t have played, of course Virgil [van Dijk] wouldn’t have played but it would have been an ideal moment for the likes of Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah, Federico Chiesa and all the others to get some playing time as well to keep them ready for the end phase of the season.”
As a result of Liverpool’s weekend off, the opportunities Elliott will have to impress Slot are limited as the games continue to grow in importance for the Reds.
This does not look good for the future of the youngster at Anfield and it could result in Elliott looking for a new club this summer.
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Harvey Elliott’s career will develop better away from Liverpool
Elliott has played just 503 minutes across 17 games this season for Liverpool which is not enough for the 21-year-old to develop his skills.
Southampton legend Francis Benali was impressed with Elliott when he played against the Saints in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season and described the midfielder as ‘excellent’, a view many others share.
Slot has left the door open for Elliott to break into his starting 11 this season and it is clear that the Dutch coach rates the youngster, but it seems it is not enough for him to fully trust the English talent.
Brighton and Bourssuia Dortmund showed interest in Elliott ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and both clubs would be the perfect place for the youngster to develop.
The midfielder has the potential to achieve great things in football and he now needs the right environment to reach the levels he should.
A move away from Liverpool this summer should be an option for the Reds star, despite his love for the club, as it has become clear that Elliott will not get the minutes he desires at Anfield while Slot is in charge.
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