Arne Slot, the head coach of Liverpool, spoke about the injury of his right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and his absence from the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United, as well as the latest developments regarding French defender Ibrahima Konaté.

The Dutch coach commented on Arnold's injury, saying: "Arnold is unavailable, he will not be present in the final, his condition is still being assessed to determine the length of his absence, but we expect him to return before the end of the season."

He added: "His injury occurred in the second half of the match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, and it's a significant loss for us, especially in a match as important as the Carabao Cup final."

Regarding the condition of defender Ibrahima Konaté, Slot said: "We did not train yesterday, it was a rest day, and the day before was for recovery. I expect him to train with us today, but we need to see how his physical condition is before making a final decision."

The coach talked about the difficulties any team faces at this time of the season due to injuries, saying: "At this point in the season, it's almost impossible to have all players available. Every team has absences due to injuries, but that's normal after months of continuous play."

On the future of Virgil van Dijk, he said: "I don't know what will happen next season, all I know is that I want Virgil van Dijk to be here next year. As for the rest of the contract discussions, that's not my area of expertise."

Liverpool was eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, and Slot was asked about the players' morale and regaining their strength, to which he replied: "This is the positive side of our current situation in the league and cup, everyone wants to participate, and that's why we prepare and come here to train. We have a chance to win the cup, and our position in the league motivates us to keep going."

He pointed out: "If we exit a tournament, it's better to play like we did against Paris Saint-Germain rather than how we played against Plymouth."

He confirmed: "The levels of enthusiasm have been at their highest throughout the season, and we created some chances that we usually score from. Yes, I also enjoyed the match; it was pure football."

He continued: "I have watched many matches recently where everything revolved around feigning injury and wasting time. It was two teams, both relying on pressure, pure football, a big compliment to Paris Saint-Germain for defeating a strong Liverpool team."

Regarding Darwin Núñez, who missed a penalty against Paris Saint-Germain, he stated: "I assume Curtis Jones felt the same after missing his penalty. I believe every player who misses one doesn't feel great, but no one was optimistic. They took responsibility; you might miss, but that's what happens when you take responsibility."

He concluded his remarks by praising the team's medical staff: "I think it's positive that we have relatively few injuries compared to some other teams; it's a testament to the great work the medical team does to keep the players fit."