Wataru Endo is confident he will be given the game time he needs at Liverpool this season despite a slow start, insisting that “you can’t just use 11 players.”
Endo has fallen out of favour at Liverpool following the appointment of Arne Slot, with the 31-year-old only playing one minute in the first three games of the season.
Ryan Gravenberch is Slot’s new first choice in the No. 6 role, after a summer that saw a failed pursuit of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.
It is clear that the head coach favours a more technically sound option as his deepest midfielder, even switching Alexis Mac Allister there for Sunday’s 3-0 win over Man United.
But despite Mac Allister, Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai starting in midfield for each of Liverpool’s first three games of the campaign, Endo is adamant he will be given his chance.
“When the international break is finished there is a run of games so I’ll get more chances,” he told AFP after Japan’s 7-0 win over China on Thursday.
“You can’t just use 11 players when you have a lot of games. I’m sure I’ll get my turn.”
As Endo points out, while Liverpool only played once a week in their first run of games up to the September break, the fixture list is much busier upon their return.
With the start of the expanded Champions League as well their Carabao Cup clash with West Ham, Slot’s side will play seven times between their return to action on September 14 and their final game before the next internationals on October 5.
That includes a stretch of five games in 15 days, with Endo likely to be rotated in to allow the likes of Gravenberch and Mac Allister rest.
“My physical condition won’t be a problem. I’ve been training well and I’m not worried about it,” he continued.
“At my age I have experience so getting a feel for games isn’t a problem.
“I feel I can perform well in this round of World Cup qualifiers. The important thing is to train and prepare well.”
Japan will continue their third-round qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with a trip to Bahrain on Tuesday night, with Endo likely to start again as captain.
Liverpool have already seen Harvey Elliott pull out of England U21s duty this month due to injury, while Curtis Jones has been sidelined and Mac Allister suffered a minor issue in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Chile on Thursday night.
