"Has tended to favor the same starters" - Jamie Carragher believes Arne Slot doesn't 'trust' 3 Liverpool stars

Jamie Carragher has claimed that Liverpool manager Arne Slot does not trust Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo. He believes that the manager keeps going back to his main set of 14-15 players because he depends on them.

In his column for The Telegraph, Carragher stated that Liverpool's lack of transfer activity in the summer and January might come back to haunt them. He added that the key players would find themselves overburdened in the business end of the season and wrote:

"The L'pool manager has tended to favor the same starters from a preferred pool of 14 or 15. He does not seem to trust back-up options such as Harvey Elliott or Wataru Endo unless there is no option. Last summer’s sole summer signing, Federico Chiesa, has contributed nothing. Again, his lack of minutes suggests Slot does not believe the Italian is a game-changer.

"So far, Liverpool’s relative lack of activity in the transfer market has been vindicated, but crunch time is approaching. There will be hard judgments if they fall short because the key players have been overburdened in the three competitions they are still fighting in."

Arne Slot's side are out of the FA Cup after a 1-0 loss to Plymouth Argyle in the previous round. The Reds are in the Carabao Cup final, where they face Newcastle United next month and are also in the running for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League title.

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool players ran out of gas last season

Jamie Carragher has recalled how Liverpool's season crashed last year after winning the Carabao Cup. He believes that they could not go the distance in the three other competitions because the players were exhausted. He further wrote in his column on The Telegraph:

"The memories of a year ago are fresh. Liverpool ran out of gas in March and April. Playing so many of the same players week in, week out feels risky. But unlike last year when L'pool had to go to Old Trafford and Goodison in the run-in, they have a much friendlier final stretch this time.

"After a trip to the Etihad, the quirk of the fixture list means seven of their remaining 11 Premier League games are at Anfield. That is one of the reasons why this weekend feels so significant."

The Anfield side replaced Jurgen Klopp with Arne Slot last summer after the German decided to leave. The Reds have lost just four games this season, winning 30 matches and drawing seven times.