Arne Slot makes Diogo Jota admission after emotional Andy Robertson interview - 'I simply don’t know'

Arne Slot was asked about Andy Robertson's emotional post-match interview

Arne Slot admits he doesn't know how the tragic death of Diogo Jota is affecting Liverpool this season.

But the Reds boss will not use it as an excuse for his team's underwhelming start to the season.

Jota was killed along with his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in July in northern Spain when travelling back to Merseyside to begin pre-season training.

The loss of the striker was once again brought into sharp focus on Tuesday when mentioned by Andy Robertson during an emotional post-match live television interview after Scotland had qualified for the World Cup by beating Denmark.

And Slot said: “I saw the interview as well live and I know that it is an issue for us, which is completely normal.

"But in these moments of time I also think how must it feel for his wife and his children because that is so, so, so much harder for them than it is us.

"But that we miss the player and the person, that is completely clear.

"We are always judged, sometimes fair, sometimes unfair.

“I think it is good for us to remind (ourselves) of him every time possible because of the person and player he was but it is impossible to measure what it does to the players and then to measure what it does to our results.

"The last thing I would do is use it as an excuse because I simply don’t know.

“What I do know is we miss the player, that is 100% sure, and we also miss the person but I cannot measure what impact that has on our performances, let alone results.

"That is impossible to say. We will never use it as an excuse because that doesn't feel right."

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday with the visit of Nottingham Forest, against whom Jota netted a leveller in the away fixture last season with his first touch after coming on as substitute.

And Slot added: "We play Nottingham Forest; last season we were 1-0 down at Forest and it only took him one minute to score the equaliser.

"Now I'm talking about the player we miss, for sure.

“This time we haven’t been able to come back as many times as last season after being 1-0 down or a goal down and he definitely played his part in that last season.

"We also miss him as a person but his wife and children will miss him so much more. And his parents as well."

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