Arne Slot has sent a tongue-in-cheek message to the Liverpool hierarchy regarding one player who’s currently out on loan from Anfield.
In the final hours of the summer transfer window, Ben Doak moved to Middlesbrough for this season, adding to an already lengthy list of players to be loaned out by the Reds.
Whilst the move has enabled the 18-year-old to accrue some valuable senior experience, injuries at his parent club have curtailed our attacking options somewhat, with Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa sidelined.
Slot quips about Doak loan recallSpeaking to the press on Tuesday ahead of the Carabao Cup clash against Brighton tonight, Slot admitted his concern over the injury issues in attack, and he quipped that Liverpool chiefs ‘should’ consider recalling Doak from his loan spell.
The Dutchman said (via liverpoolfc.com): “You see now, we’ve got six forwards, two of them are injured, so only four left. With the schedule we have, that’s sometimes a bit of a worry for me.
Maybe we should bring Ben Doak back!”Slot still has viable alternatives in attackIt was evident from the smile on Slot’s face as he made that latter remark that he meant it tongue-in-cheek, but could Liverpool yet find themselves in a situation where a recall for Doak is necessitated?
Chiesa’s ongoing absence leaves Mo Salah as the only natural right-sided attacker at Anfield. Whilst Harvey Elliott can also play in that position, he offers more in an attacking midfield role and has had his own issues with injury of late.
There’s also the option of switching Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo to the right flank if the Egyptian is unavailable or simply needs a rest, so at least there’s a viable Plan B to which the head coach could turn if needed.Realistically, Liverpool should only consider recalling Doak from loan as a last resort.
He’s getting the game-time that he needs at Middlesbrough, and for all his evident promise at senior level, he’s still netted just once in 518 minutes of Championship action this term.
It’s not a return which suggests that he’d shoot the lights out for the Reds just yet; and although his fortunes might change and we could see him hit a purple patch of form, he’s best served by remaining at the Riverside Stadium, especially while Slot can still call upon the likes of Salah, Diaz and Gakpo.
