What Arne Slot said about Ekitike that matters before Barnsley

Liverpool’s FA Cup plans are beginning to take shape, even if some of the most important clues are hidden within cautious language.

Speaking via Liverpoolfc.com ahead of Monday night’s third-round tie against Barnsley, Arne Slot offered a series of fitness updates that subtly framed how seriously we are taking the competition.

The Dutchman made it clear that the FA Cup remains “very important” to us, with the intention to select the strongest squad possible at Anfield.

That ambition...