Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool boss is resigned to fixture congestion and will stop talking about it
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ByEurosport
Updated 27/11/2020 at 14:13 GMT
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Premier League's fixture pile-up as a result of the condensed calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however he feels his thoughts on the matter are falling on deaf ears. Liverpool host Brighton behind closed doors on Saturday afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp
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Jurgen Klopp is not happy with the scheduling which means his side face Brighton in a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday having played Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday and no longer wishes to discuss the subject.
"My thoughts about this are clear," Klopp told a news conference. "It's not the time to think about it now. I have to prepare for it. Looks like until end of year it is only us (Weds/Sat).
"Whatever I say doesn't help, so I stop talking. It's just a waste of time. In this moment we play in 25 hours and I have to prepare a team.
"Wednesday/Saturday 12.30, you have to ask other people why they do that. I don't have the answer."
Liverpool can go top if they avoid defeat at Brighton and Klopp is hopeful that skipper Jordan Henderson will be available after recovering from a muscle injury sustained playing for England against Belgium this month.
"Hendo trained yesterday as part of an individual session," said Klopp, who will be without several key players including Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk.
"Only a few days in between so we make late decisions. If you asked me my lineup, I couldn't tell you. I have to wait for medical department to tell me."
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The city of Liverpool has been placed under Tier 2 Covid-19 restrictions by the government, paving the way for a limited return of fans for the first time since March.
While London clubs will also be permitted to allow fans back in small numbers next month, many Premier League clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United and those in the Midlands will not as they are in Tier 3 areas.
Liverpool's game at Brighton will be without fans, as the new measures come in next week. However, 2,000 fans will be permitted to attend Liverpool's home game with Wolverhampton Wanderers next weekend. Klopp was asked whether it would be an advantage for his title winners.
"I said before I knew which tier Liverpool would be in that's it's not about discussing the advantage or disadvantage of this or that," he said.
"It's making small steps in the right direction. I'm happy that we can bring in 2,000 people, nobody knows how long we will be able to do that, but I think we should discuss not on the basis of an advantage for this or that team
"The world is in a difficult place and we all wait for small steps. This is a small step in the right direction."
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