Arne Slot insisted his Liverpool team selection in the Carabao Cup defeat was about protecting key players, like Alexander Isak, from injury.

Liverpool's bad run of form extended to a sixth defeat in seven games when Palace ran out 3-0 winners at Anfield on Wednesday.

Slot rotated his starting XI with 10 changes from their most recent Premier League match against Brentford . Mohamed Salah and Van Dijk were notably absent from the squad.

"Everybody can have [an] opinion about it, but with the squad we have -- maybe 15, 16 first-team players available -- this is the choice I've made," Slot told Sky Sports.

"It's not of Liverpool's standards to lose five out of six, or six out of seven.

"Last time we played Southampton here in the League Cup, Giovanni Leoni got injured. We do

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