Arne Slot explains situation with Liverpool star who 'should not be happy'

Harvey Elliott is in a fight with “four or five” players to get game time at Liverpool as Arne Slot explained the midfielder’s lack of minutes.

The Reds star has played just 44 minutes in the Premier League so far this season. Elliott, 21, did miss two months with a broken foot but he has still yet to start a league game this term.

That has led to speculation about the midfielder’s future and boss Slot is aware that he may have a player unhappy with his minutes.

“It would be weird if he would come to me and say 'I'm so happy with the playing time I have at the moment',” said Slot. "But the first thing you ask me is the same answer every single time: we don't talk about rumours where people talk about players who are in contract talks or if we our linked with players or our players are linked with other clubs.

"That he wants to play more he should because if he was happy with his current situation that would be wrong thing. But every single day he is working as hard as he can.”

Slot has put down the lack of minutes to the competition Elliott faces rather than his own performances, likening to Federico Chiesa’s struggles for minutes behind Mo Salah.

“But like Federico [Chiesa] because many people ask about him, who is in competition with Mo Salah, Harvey is in competition with four or five very good midfielders - you may agree with me or not,” said Slot. “And I like the way we played in the last 20-25 minutes at [Nottingham] Forest so that for me is not a reason to change.

“If you want to bring that moment back, we played quite well in the first hour but we didn't create a lot then I made a substitution.

“I put Ryan as a centre back and took Ibou [Konate] out because I wanted to create more chances. But if we then at a certain moment create a lot of chances I don't see it a necessary to make another change because we were all waiting for us to score a goal.”

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