The squad hadn't left Liverpool by the time the presser was due to start in Frankfurt.
Liverpool's squad was still sitting on Merseyside on Tuesday evening, less than fifteen minutes before Arne Slot was supposed to be standing at a podium in Frankfurt answering questions about ankle injuries and tactical rotation. A technical fault with the team's aircraft had grounded the whole operation, and the pre-match press conference — scheduled for 6:30pm BST — was quietly cancelled.
The club confirmed the situation through a brief update on their official website, citing the aircraft issue as the reason the event could not go ahead. The Athletic's James Pearce added the detail that sharpened the picture: the squad hadn't even left Liverpool by the time the presser was supposed to begin in Germany.
Slot had been expected to appear alongside midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, the pair facing a room of English and German journalists ahead of Liverpool's third Champions League group fixture of the season against Eintracht Frankfurt. It would have been a significant briefing. The Reds are carrying real weight into this match — four consecutive defeats across all competitions have left questions hanging in the air about the squad's form, Slot's selections, and the depth of a problem that now stretches beyond any single result.
One of the more pressing items on the agenda was Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutch midfielder picked up an ankle injury on Sunday and missed training, and Slot had been expected to clarify whether the problem would keep him out of the Frankfurt trip entirely. That question remains unanswered for now. What is known is that Wataru Endo, who sat out Sunday's match with a hamstring complaint, was back on the grass at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday afternoon. Twenty-two players took part in that session, and Endo's return offers at least some cover in the middle of the park should Gravenberch be ruled out.
The training session itself went ahead as planned earlier in the day, before the travel chaos unfolded. But the club had still not formally announced their travelling squad for the fixture by the time the delays were confirmed — an absence of information that likely reflects the disruption rather than any deliberate strategy.
For Liverpool, the timing is uncomfortable in a way that goes beyond logistics. A press conference is, in the grand scheme, a minor inconvenience. But it arrives at a moment when the club would have welcomed the chance to project calm and control, to let Slot speak clearly about what he sees and what he intends. Instead, the evening became a scramble, the squad stranded, the narrative left to fill itself in.
The hope from the club's side is that the delays resolve quickly enough to avoid eating into the squad's rest and preparation before a Wednesday night fixture that carries genuine European stakes. Whether the aircraft issue is resolved in time for a smooth arrival — and what condition the players are in when they get there — will be the first thing to watch as the story develops.
Notable Quotes
The squad was still in Liverpool less than 15 minutes before the press conference in Frankfurt was due to begin.— James Pearce, The Athletic
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Does a cancelled press conference actually matter in the context of a football match?
Usually, no. But this one was carrying more weight than most — four straight defeats, an injury to a key midfielder, questions about rotation. Slot had things to answer.
What was the Gravenberch situation?
He picked up an ankle injury on Sunday and didn't train with the group. Slot was expected to say whether he'd travel at all. That question is still open.
And Endo was back?
Yes, which matters. If Gravenberch is out, you need bodies in midfield. Endo missing Sunday with a hamstring and then returning to training Tuesday is at least something to hold onto.
Four consecutive defeats — across all competitions. How serious is that?
Serious enough that the press conference would have been uncomfortable. Journalists don't let that kind of run go unaddressed.
Is there something almost revealing about the squad still being in Liverpool fifteen minutes before the Frankfurt presser was due to start?
It tells you the delay was substantial, not a minor hold. This wasn't a late gate — the whole plan had collapsed.
What's the real risk here beyond the inconvenience?
Sleep, preparation, routine. Elite football runs on rhythm. A chaotic travel day before a European fixture is exactly the kind of disruption that compounds existing problems.
What should we be watching for next?
The squad announcement, whenever it comes. And then whether Liverpool look like a team that arrived settled — or one that spent Tuesday night in an airport.