Liverpool were missing 12 first-team players during Arne Slot’s first game as head coach on Saturday.

Slot has had to wait a little while to get his teeth into some games for the Reds, but his tenure is now well and truly underway.

It was a good performance all in all with Slot introducing some new tactical ideas to the players he had available.

Youngster Trey Nyoni was particularly impressive as a first-half Dominik Szoboszlai goal was enough to see off Real Betis.

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There were clues to how Liverpool will likely set up under Slot and it begged the question of whether those players who were missing the match would tune in to pick up on them.

Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images

It is perhaps a fool’s errand to read too much into a game in which Slot was missing so many of his Liverpool squad – plenty of whom who would be regular starters.

But it’s also clear that the Dutchman’s system will be heavily reliant on his midfielders having a lot of the ball.

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Curtis Jones says he’s looking forward to playing for Slot in this manner but he isn’t the only ball-playing midfielder Liverpool can count on.

With Slot looking likely to play a sitting double pivot in midfield, the two players in there need to be a mixture of composure and creativity on the ball and defensive resilience.

Jones can certainly do his fair share of that, but you’d be hard pushed to find a player that better fits that description than Alexis Mac Allister.

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A recent Copa America champion with Argentina, Mac Allister is currently away enjoying a little holiday before joining up with Liverpool back at the AXA Training Centre in August.

We’re not sure where Mac Allister is right now, but wherever he is, it doesn’t seem as though the 25-year-old was put out by Liverpool’s 12.30am UK kick-off time.

Posting on his Instagram stories, Mac Allister shared a photo of a laptop screen with the Reds game playing out live on it.

With an inviting looking pool in the background and the sky not quite dark, we don’t think Macca is on Merseyside just yet.

Slot will soon see his lack of senior players problem slightly resolved.

Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch are due to join the camp in the USA any day now.

Diogo Jota is also already back and will likely be involved in Thursday’s game against Arsenal.

That will leave just eight players to come back, as well as Andy Robertson and Jones to return from injury.

As one of those eight, Mac Allister will not play any part in the USA tour.

Instead, the World Cup winner will link up with his teammates anytime from their return to England on August the 5th.

That will give Mac Allister less than two weeks to get to grips with Slot and his system before the season’s Premier League opener.
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