Jurgen Klopp once again spoke out against the madness of TV scheduling following Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League.
It was the Reds’ first defeat inside 90 minutes at Anfield for over two years as they failed to register a single shot on target.
Klopp described it as “almost a crime” that his side will return to action in Saturday’s early kick-off against Brighton at The Amex, less than 72 hours after the end of their European loss.
The old cliché of “attention quickly turning” to the next match is being felt more pressingly amidst a schedule that is already causing problems even before the notoriously hectic Christmas period.
It was a much-changed XI that started the surprise defeat to Atalanta, but one which still featured Alisson, Joel Matip, Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane.
Mo Salah also played the first hour after his negative coronavirus test. Klopp had rotated, but it was not an entirely unfamiliar group which suffered one of the most comprehensive defeats of the German’s tenure and their third since the start of October in all competitions.
The long-term absences of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, compounded by recent injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson, have made resting other key players difficult.
Klopp will have to decide whether he can leave out any of his favoured personnel against Brighton. The ease of the 3-0 win over Leicester City suggests he can afford to take that risk, but he cannot afford another performance like the one against Atalanta.
Some Liverpool fans even began to wonder whether he had fielded a makeshift side in the latter game just to make a statement, given his ire at Sky Sports and BT Sport.
The 53-year-old is typically above such pettiness and at any rate, his squad should be strong enough to rotate against Brighton. Should that happen, he will not be able to question the fixture list if Liverpool boast so much depth that even their back-up options are able to compete.
In spite of their midweek struggles, Mane and Salah will likely be joined by Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota once again as Liverpool seek to overpower Brighton in attack. The duo were brought on simultaneously as Liverpool searched for a goal against the Italians, but neither was able to make a sufficient impact.
Team news
Klopp will at least receive some respite in the form of Henderson’s expected return after the midfielder returned to training on Thursday.
Thiago Alcantara did not take part in that session and will undergo a late assessment, while Rhys Williams is a doubt with an unspecified knock. Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are definitely out.
Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri, both of whom were ruled out against Atalanta, are not expected to return until next week.
With Tariq Lamptey suspended and Aaron Connolly doubtful, Brighton have injury concerns of their own. The Seagulls might well be wondering whether they were witnessing another chink in Liverpool’s armour, or simply an uncharacteristic blip from a side who do not draw many blanks.
It is unsurprising that Klopp, who orchestrated last season’s campaign so meticulously, has grown frustrated at circumstances which are out of his control. Still, his complaints about scheduling will only be as convincing as the changes he makes against Brighton.
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