Festive cheer ahead
Liverpool manager Klopp plots pre-Christmas turnover
LONDON: Manager Juergen Klopp believes he has the options to nurse Liverpool’s squad through their hectic pre-Christmas period after seeing his side win 3-0 at Stoke.
Klopp brought goalscorer Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino back into his starting line-up at the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday, with Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho among those who dropped out.
He feels he has the depth to get through the six games before Christmas despite being forced to play an unfit Dejan Lovren in defence after Ragnar Klavan pulled out through illness.
“I’m happy about the options we have,” said the German after a victory that lifted Liverpool to fifth place in the English Premier League table.
“Ragnar Klavan was ill and Dejan Lovren not fit. If ‘Raggy’ was fit, Dejan Lovren would not have been in the squad, but he started.
“We have options to change it. Adam Lallana is not fit for another three or four days, but I’m happy about our options.”
Klopp saw Mane open the scoring before Salah stepped off the bench to score twice and take his tally for the season to 17 goals in all competitions.
He also handed a full Premier League debut to teenage striker Dominic Solanke, who was recently capped by England for the first time.
“Thank God Salah keeps scoring,” said Klopp of the Egypt forward, who is the Premier League’s leading scorer with 12 goals.
“It’s good. It was difficult for all the players coming on in these (cold) temperatures. Sitting on the bench is not too nice, but it worked really well with two fantastic goals.
“It was good for Mane. Now he needs rhythm. We all know with him in one or two situations if he is in a “click” moment he can score as well in these situations, but it’s all good.
“Dominic should have scored. He is a fantastic boy, it was well deserved and I am really happy we could do that for him in this situation.”