Arne Slot confirms new Liverpool injury in latest Champions League win | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot confirmed in the aftermath of the 2-1 win over Lille in the Champions League that Curtis Jones was withdrawn because of an injury.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Harvey Elliott fired the Reds to a seventh straight win in the league phase of the reformatted competition, securing a place in the top eight and automatic qualification for the knockout stages.

The evening wasn't as plain-sailing as Slot would have liked, following difficult back-to-back Premier League games against Nottingham Forest and Brentford, and things were complicated further when the Dutchman was forced into half-time changes.

Slot was planning rotation for his side in order to rest key players, with Dominik Szoboszlai pencilled in alongside Ryan Gravenberch to just play for the first half. But those plans had to be altered when Jones felt a twinge before half-time, prompting the former Feyenoord boss to head in a different direction.

"Yeah, the idea was to take Dom off and Ryan off at half-time, but Curtis unfortunately couldn't continue so that's why Dom stayed a bit longer," Slot told reporters. "There was a moment in the game. What he felt, he said, 'Let's play for five more minutes and then let's see how it is'. But he said he had to come out at half-time.

Curtis Jones received treatment in the first half / Molly Darlington/Copa/GettyImages

"We wanted to win this game but we were also aware of the fact that we had to manage the loads. We would have been really, really, really unlucky if we would have lost twice and still not been in the top eight. As we know now, I think 18 points would have been enough to play top eight. But with 21 there is no discussion."

Asked about the result and Liverpool's progression, Slot added: "We are happy that we are top eight. This league table doesn't tell you anything.

"Maybe the number 24 is better than the number 16 but the 16 had an easier draw. We want to be top but we have to wait and see if it's an advantage.

"As a manager, I'm a bit more impressed than the crowd or the people who watch the TV. I knew they [Lille] were 21 games unbeaten but they beat both Real and Atletico Madrid and they did this without the best players in the world, with the greatest respect. I wasn't happy about one chance conceded and one goal conceded."