Klopp doesn’t blame United’s boss over using weakened side

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists there is no animosity towards Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for fielding a weakened team against Leicester as he would have done exactly the same.

The Reds boss, pictured, is no stranger to fixture congestion, the club famously having to play two matches in successive days on different continents last season due to their involvement in the League Cup and Fifa Club World Cup, but blasted the scheduling of three United matches in five days as “a crime”.

So there will be no hard feelings from the German when he steps out at Old Trafford tonight for the fixture against United, rearranged after fan protests two weekends ago, despite Solskjaer’s decision making it more difficult for Liverpool to make up the ground for a top-four place.

“Not exactly what I expected but I knew he had to make these changes,” said Klopp.

“I said it 500 times that with all the things that happened, and the protests at Manchester, to play Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday is a crime. It is.

“But it is not the fault of Ole and the players. My question to myself was: ‘Would I have done the same?’ Yes. You have to.

“We are late in the season, all the players played a lot of games.

United are in the Europa League final so that means an awful lot of games and now you get Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday. That is not possible.”

Liverpool return to Old Trafford 11 days after their match was called off after supporters protesting against the Glazer family’s ownership of United broke into the ground and picketed the team hotel.

United have beefed up security around Old Trafford and Klopp is not worried about their security.

“No concerns really. Nothing is in our hands in this perspective but we trust the authorities,” he said.

“We were not in danger last time when we were at Manchester. That was not about that, the supporters protested against some other stuff.”