Overview

• Wirtz said Slot told him he would be rested for selected league games to control workload after a Champions League start, which left him on the bench for the Merseyside derby.
• Deployed on the left at Crystal Palace, he was substituted as pundits criticised the positional switch and highlighted his continued wait for a Premier League goal or assist.
• The 22-year-old cited top running figures in Liverpool’s press leaving less energy on the ball and expects improvement to come step by step as his minutes build.
• Liverpool committed to a five-year deal after signing him from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee reported up to about £116m, increasing scrutiny of his early performances.
• Former Bayern chief Karl‑Heinz Rummenigge publicly regretted missing out on Wirtz and suggested he could reconsider the club in future, according to German reports.