Call it the “festive period,” or “fixture congestion,” or whatever you want but this is just insane. It’s simply just dumb, and rather unfair that Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have to play two Premier League fixtures in three days. Yes, less than 48 hours after the Reds defeated Manchester City 1-0 on New Year’s Eve, they’ll take on Sunderland.
At least they got the much tougher match out of the way first. City are top four/Champions League contenders while Sunderland are in the relegation zone.
Of course that doesn’t mean it will be a cakewalk, and should they stumble, Jurgen Klopp will not blame the loss on the goofy, unrealistic schedule makers.
“I will make a line-up when the medical department gives me the opportunity to,” Klopp said about his team’s match fitness status given the lack of the rest.
“If I have no choice, then the players which are fit will play. That’s how it is. (There are] no excuses for anybody. We have to deliver, and we will deliver.”
“It’s clear in a situation like this. Usually after a game you ask a lot of questions because if you get an answer you can rest a player.”
“I’m pretty sure that I will ask not a lot of questions, ‘how do you feel?’ or whatever,” the high intensity German continued.
“I will ask for information from the medical department and then we don’t even have a real session. That’s the next problem with rotation, we don’t even have a real session tomorrow. That’s pretty short. All we can put in this session we will do: some tactical stuff.”
Jurgen Klopp ‘s men are currently six points behind Chelsea for the top of the table. Philippe Coutinho, arguably their best overall player, has been a long term absentee, and he’s still recovering from an ankle ligament injury.
The Reds have also been without another player with ankle issues, Joel Matip, who has missed the last four matches.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
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