Arne Slot press conference: Liverpool vs Sunderland

Conor Bradley has returned to team training, with Slot hopeful he will be available for the game against Leeds at the weekend. Fellow right-back Jeremy Frimpong remains sidelined, but is set to return to team training next week.

Slot said Alexander Isak scoring his first Premier League goal for the Reds on Sunday “was very positive”, but the striker told his manager on Monday that “he felt a bit of cramp coming up already”, so they will see how he trains on Tuesday and decide whether he will be available for the Sunderland game.

Isak, Florian Wirtz and Joe Gomez “are not able to play three 90 minutes in a week” yet but “all three are able to play in all three games if they don’t get an injury”.

On how disappointed Mohamed Salah was at being dropped for the game against West Ham: “It’s a normal reaction from a player that is good enough to play for us. He wasn’t the only who wasn’t happy he wasn’t starting. The way he behaved is the way you would expect of a professional. He handled himself really well. A top professional.”

Slot said Salah is expected to leave for Afcon on 15 December, but added: “Always in these situations there is the player and the national team involved, and there are always talks about what is best for all three of us.”

On Regis le Bris’ Sunderland side, who are sixth in the Premier League, two places and one point above Liverpool: “Big compliment to the manager because they brought in a lot of new players and they started really well. A very hard-working team with a very clear identity of how they want to play on and off the ball.”

On social media abuse: “Abuse is never a good thing if it is about me, the players or other managers. I am not a social media person; I don’t have it, but I am not stupid so I know it is there. What I know and what I feel is the support the fans give me in the stadium. They sing for the team, but also for me.”