Arne Slot drops hint over Wirtz position and Robertson fitness before Man City | OneFootball

Arne Slot has offered an encouraging update on Andy Robertson and a clear indication of how he plans to use Florian Wirtz ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester City.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Dutchman confirmed that the Scotland captain’s workload is being carefully managed after a demanding week of fixtures.

Slot praises Robertson’s consistency after return to starting XI

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

“He’s done really well in the last three games because he played three games in seven days,” said our manager.

“I was very pleased to see that he was able to play almost 90 in his last game because it’s hard for players to play three games in seven days.”

The 47-year-old admitted he substituted the left-back during the win over Crystal Palace because he appeared fatigued late on, but insisted he’s been “calm on the ball” and “done a job defensively”.

That recent run included the Champions League victory over Real Madrid and his resurgence has come at an important time, after summer signing Milos Kerkez has struggled to adapt.

As Theo Squires wrote before the Villa match, “Glad to see Andy Robertson come into the starting XI for his first Premier League start of the season. Given Milos Kerkez’s struggles, it has been a long time coming.”

That confidence in the Scot has clearly been repaid in recent weeks.

Wirtz can play “off the left” says Slot ahead of City

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Attention then turned to our former record signing, with Slot asked about Wirtz’s best position after the German impressed on the left side in midweek.

The Liverpool boss replied: “Florian can play in more than only one position. He can play off the left, which he did almost all the time in Leverkusen when Xabi Alonso came and introduced this 3-4-3 system.

“Before that he mainly played as a 10, so I think it’s more about getting him in the positions where he’s good at.

“We should be focused on getting him around the 18-yard box centrally or a bit more of the left or right for him to create the chances he’s already created for us.”

That versatility might prove vital against Pep Guardiola’s side, especially given the criticism the 22-year-old has faced from pundits on The Overlap this week.

Paul Scholes said: “If you take money into consideration, you think about Wirtz as well, don’t you [as the the player who’s not lived up to expectations so far this season]? But I think Wirtz will come good.”

It’s clear the midfielder is growing into his role, having created five chances in the first half against Real Madrid – the most by any Liverpool player in a single half since Mo Salah against Brentford in January 2025 (via Opta).

As we prepare for another meeting with Manchester City, Slot’s comments suggest the German will continue on the left, linking with Robertson in a combination that’s beginning to look increasingly natural.

You can view Slot’s comments on Robertson and Wirtz via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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