Liverpool hit out at ‘absurd’ schedule

Covid and injuries a huge risk, says Klopp assistant

LIVERPOOL assistant boss Pep Lijnders has called the decision to persist with the Premier League’s festive schedule ‘absurd’ and warned that playing on will compromise the quality of football.

Liverpool were among a small group of clubs who made it clear at Monday’s Premier League meeting that they were happy to defer one of the fixtures that are scheduled to be played between Boxing Day and January 3. In that period, Jurgen Klopp’s team face Leeds, Leicester and Chelsea.

Of most concern to Klopp is the fact there will be less than 54 hours between the end of their game against Leeds on Sunday lunchtime and the start of the fixture at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night. Liverpool are adamant that it is impossible for a player to be fully recovered in such a short period.

There was dismay at Anfield that there was not more opposition to the Premier League’s determination to keep playing, especially as clubs have so many cases of Covid-19. Lijnders believes the decision to press on is misguided.

‘Jurgen made this point really clear after the game (at Tottenham),’ said Lijnders. ‘We really believe we are in the position to protect our players. We think it is absurd we have to play within 48 hours because it is a much higher risk of injury and the quality of the game will not be as good.

‘If players are more fatigued we don’t get the offensive attitude and quality we want. Football is a team sport so the moment we lose players we have to push players through these situations and the risk becomes bigger.

‘I think it is absurd. You have to ask the teams why they want to play in these circumstances but I think it would be a wise decision, because of our situation with the Covid cases being fresh, if we had more time before the next game.’

Lijnders added: ‘We have to respect the fact a Premier League player needs 72 hours to recover if we want more quality. We have to respect the recovery process as well because Covid increases the risk of injuries.’

Liverpool are set to face Leicester this evening in their Carabao Cup quarter-final at Anfield and Klopp will make wholesale changes to the team who drew 2-2 at Tottenham but Lijnders has vowed his club are going to attack the competition.

‘We have a squad full of personalities and boys who still dream,’ said Lijnders. ‘Even James Milner, who is 35, still dreams of winning prizes. If you want to be a proper Liverpool legend you need to win national cups as well.’

However, Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi insists lifting the FA Cup last season gives them confidence they can repeat that success in the Carabao Cup.

Ndidi told the club website: ‘The confidence is here. When you think back to that amazing feeling of winning the FA Cup, it is something we have in our minds that we can achieve things together. We believe in ourselves.’