"Wtf is he playing him again for", "Give him a break" - Liverpool fans unhappy with star's inclusion in XI for UCL clash against Lille

Liverpool fans were left unhappy with the inclusion of midfielder Ryan Gravenberch in the starting lineup for their UEFA Champions League clash against French side LOSC Lille (January 21).

The Dutchman joined the Reds from German giants Bayern Munich for a reported €40 million in the summer of 2023. Although he had a topsy-turvy debut season at the club, he has become a mainstay in Arne Slot's starting lineup in the 2024-25 campaign.

Gravenberch has appeared in 28 of the 32 games that Liverpool have played across all competitions this season. All 28 appearances have been starts and he has played the full 90 minutes in all but three of those games.

With the Premier League's end-of-season run-in around the corner, many fans have called for Slot to rest him and keep him fresh for the crucial games. Unsurprisingly, Reds' supporters were not happy when he was named in the starting lineup for their UCL fixture against Lille.

@RyanOHa31818402 wrote:

"wtf is he (Slot) playing Gravenberch again for."

@6times2019__ added:

"Give Gravenberch a break."

Here is a selection of fan reactions (via X):

"Give Gravenberch a rest Arne," @footymarvelous wrote.

"Why does gravenberch keep starting? Slot needs to give him rest ffs," @Antho28k claimed.

"Gravenberch again... please rest him ffs," @Sabir_faiz_LFC wrote.

@OluSammyA went one step further, claiming, "Rest Ryan and (Mohamed) Salah!!!"

"We have to rest Gravenberch man, Endo is right there," @LFC_Lucas_ opined.

"Gravenberch deserves some rest bruh," @thisistolu wrote.

"Stop playing Gravenberch," @Svnk45 wrote.

"For the love of god give Gravenberch a rest please. We lose him and we’re in trouble considering our owners won't spend a penny," @WineDineAndLFC asserted.

Still alive and competitive in four competitions, Liverpool have the chance to win a historic quadruple (EPL, UCL, FA Cup, EFL Cup) in Slot's debut season at the club.

"We want to win" - Liverpool boss Arne Slot makes claim ahead of UCL clash vs Lille

Ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash against Lille, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has claimed that his side enters every game with the intent to win.

The Reds have won all six of their UCL games thus far this season, with 13 goals scored and just one conceded. They need just one point to secure their spot in the top eight and guarantee their passage into the Round of 16 of the competition.

While the Dutch tactician claimed that the new singular table format of the competition is "weird", he maintained that his squad is focused on winning every game in the competition. He said (via Liverpool.com):

"The most important thing every time we go out there, especially in front of our own fans, (is) we want to win a game. With this new set-up, you think that ending up No.1 is the best position to end up with."

"I'm not looking at the league table in a way of 'If we are No.1 we probably have the easiest team to face' because that is impossible to say because of this weird format; 'weird' I don't mean in a negative way, but this strange format we are having now," Slot added.

With an opportunity to secure their spot in the UCL Round of 16, Liverpool host Lille at Anfield on January 21.