Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said there was still no update on his contract earlier this week. Arne Slot was asked about it during his pre-Newcastle press conference.

Liverpool went into last year's showpiece without 11 first-team stars including Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez, before Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off after 30 minutes. Wataru Endo added to the woes, post-match, by leaving Wembley on crutches and in a protective boot.