Slot saw Hugo Ekitike score on his competitive debut in Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, but took him off in the second-half in order to 'protect' the French striker ahead of next week's Premier League kickoff.
"I think it’s always nice to score a goal - not only for him, also for Jeremie Frimpong - if you start your career at a new club,” said Slot at his post-match press conference.
“But it would have been even nicer to win a game of football because I think that’s more important than scoring a goal.
“He (Ekitike) had a good impact but he is also an example of a player who came, I think, one-and-a-half to two weeks ago, at the end of our Asian tour.
"So for me, with only three or four days before the Friday game, it wouldn’t be smart to play him for 90 minutes because… of course we have Federico (Chiesa) but he has not been on the Asian tour as well, so there’s not a lot to replace him with.
“So, if he gets an injury at this moment of time, that would be a big risk for the Bournemouth, Newcastle and Arsenal games.
“That’s why I took him off but he had a good game today, that’s for sure.”