Nottingham Forest match kicks off a trying period for Liverpool

The initial honeymoon phase for Arne Slot at Liverpool might be about to end. That is not to say things are about to go terribly on the pitch of course, just that the challenge is about to ramp up tenfold over the next month.

Saturday's meeting in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest will kickoff a very tough stretch of seven matches in 21 days across three different competitions.

That is a daunting task that got just a little more difficult with the news that Harvey Elliott will not be available after suffering a foot fracture while away on international duty, the worst fear of any club.

As we look ahead, getting a strong result on Saturday would be the perfect start in several different ways, so let's explore a few of them.

A big win helps in multiple ways

The perfect scenario will be that Liverpool jumps on Forest early and puts the game to bed as soon as they can which would allow for some heavy rotation from Slot.

I think the idea of being proactive in this situation as opposed to reactive is the way to go. We should be going into the Champions League opener in as peak of condition as we can be.

The Elliott injury is a stern warning of how quickly things can change, especially on the injury front. There are several players like Joe Gomez, Jarell Quansah, Darwin Nunez and Wataru Endo that are surely eager to jumpstart their respective campaigns.

In addition to rotating the squad, a big win would also be very good for the psyche of the squad as the focus would shift to the titanic battle in midweek.

Even a draw for Liverpool on Saturday would put a slight cloud on the momentum they have built early on under Slot, so they must make sure a win is secured to the best of their ability.

Tougher Challenges are soon to Arrive

No disrespect to Nottingham Forest who have had a fine start to the Premier League season, but they are hardly the biggest hurdle over the next 21 days for the Reds.

AC Milan, West Ham in the League Cup, Bologna in Europe won't be straightforward and Crystal Palace is always a tricky fixture.

Racking up the wins while you can is crucial to any top club competing on multiple fronts during a season and this scenario is no different. Liverpool will likely be favored in all of these matches, save perhaps Milan, but that does not guarantee success.

The mentality and discipline of the players will be tested over the next several weeks and they will be expected to rise to every occasion which is easier said than done, no matter how good you are.

If they can keep their focus and the eye on the prize this could be a defining portion of the early season at Anfield.

However, you also can't get too far ahead of yourself so the journey begins with getting a win versus Forest and moving forward from there.