‘It’s not just about Liverpool, it’s about all the players out there.’
Jurgen Klopp has called on Sky Sports and BT Sport to work together to amend the current fixture schedule, which he believes is demanding too much of Premier League footballers.
Speaking after Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Leicester, a game in which Klopp had to field James Milner at right-back and Fabinho was brought straight back in at centre-back, the Liverpool boss had a clear message: the current schedule is not sustainable.
“Why we change late, is because we constantly have to think that somebody will go down,” Klopp said, explaining his tendency to leave substitutes until the latter stages of the game.
“It was never about us when I’ve spoken about it. It’s about all the players. England players, players who play at the Euros next summer. It’s not just about Liverpool, it’s about all the players out there.
“If you don’t start talking to BT, we are all done. If we keep playing on Wednesday, and Saturday at 12:30, I’m not sure if we will finish the season with 11 players. I know you don’t care, and that’s the problem.”
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Emphasising that he is speaking about the game as a whole and not just his injury ravaged squad, Klopp mentioned Gerard Piqué and Bukayo Saka both picking up injuries this weekend.
“Yesterday, Piqué [got a] massive knee injury. Today maybe Saka, I’m not sure, looks like a knee injury – he played all three games for England in the international break,” he said.
“People tell us to rotate. Who? We have offensive players we can rotate, the rest are kids.
“It’s ok, we fight with what we have, but if you don’t start talking, you will see what happens.”
Klopp’s words echo those of Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who complained of having to play early on a Saturday having flown back from Turkey midweek after United’s win against Everton before the international break.
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