Premier League - Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders: Two games in four days is absurd

ByAlexander Netherton

Published 21/12/2021 at 19:31 GMT

The British Christmas period is a traditionally busy time for clubs as they fulfill their fixtures, and Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders believes it is 'absurd' that his side have to play two games in four days, with Covid-19 and injury absences mounting across England's top division amid a renewed outbreak.

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has said the decision to give his team two games to play in four days is "absurd".

Liverpool drew 2-2 with Tottenham on Sunday in a controversial match and have to face Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

They then play Leeds in the Premier League on Boxing Day followed by Leicester in the league on December 28.

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The Premier League has been blighted of late as a string of matches have been postponed due to a rising number of Covid-19 cases amongst club staff and players, and Ljinders believes the injuries and illnesses threaten clubs.

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"We love the intensity but we all have to respect recovery," explained Lijnders.

"We think it is absurd we have to play after 48 hours. It's a much higher risk of injury.

"You'll have to ask the teams why they want to play. With the Covid cases being this fresh, it'd make sense to have more time before the next game.

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"Football is a team sport, so the moment we lose players and we have to push players through these situations, the risk just becomes bigger."

Lijnders thinks medics should make the final decision on who is fit to play.

"For me the experts are not the managers, they are the scientists and the doctors," he said.

"We should follow their guidelines. The Premier League should ask them, not the CEOs, not the managers, because health always comes position number one above everything."

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