Jürgen Klopp intends to again rotate his options when Liverpool host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Reds boss made eight changes for the midweek win over Toulouse in the Europa League, with only Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota continuing from the XI that started the preceding Merseyside derby.
“The boys who didn’t play [on Thursday] will have a proper session [on Friday], so that is good. So they stay in training,” explained Klopp of having a Thursday-Sunday schedule this season.
“But if we would play always the same team, which we did in the past maybe in the Champions League more often, or stuff like this, then there is no training at all, it’s just recovery and go again.
“So far we could do it like that, and because we don’t have too many injuries – it’s always too much but it’s still OK in the moment and hopefully it stays like that – that’s why we can do it.
“It means a lot of players who did not play [against Toulouse] will probably start on Sunday, so for them it’s fine.
“They had, if you want, a ‘day off’ [on Thursday night], just warming up and kicking a few balls, and now [on Friday] a proper session and then we prepare definitely [for] Nottingham.”
Curtis Jones must again watch from the sidelines as he serves the final game of a three-match Premier League suspension, and Andy Robertson is out following shoulder surgery.
Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Conor Bradley have been long-term absentees, while Ben Doak missed the last two fixtures due to injury.
Meanwhile, Forest boss Steve Cooper reported on Friday he does not expect any of his injured players to return in time for the game.
It means Divock Origi and Taiwo Awoniyi are set to miss out on a reunion with their former club, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nuno Tavares, Danilo and Felipe also remain sidelined.
Anthony Elanga faces a late fitness check ahead of the 2pm GMT kick-off after a bout of illness.
Cooper told reporters: “Nobody’s going to return to the starting line-up, that’s for sure, which is obviously a bit of a frustration – particularly at the top end of the pitch because we’re not blessed with a lot of options at the moment because of player availability
“Anthony has been ill for a few days as well. He will be touch and go, I think, for the game.”
Last match
Liverpool 5-1 Toulouse (October 26): Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Matip, Chambers, Endo, Gravenberch, Jones, Elliott, Jota, Nunez.
Forest 2-2 Luton Town (October 21): Turner, Aurier, Boly, Murillo, Toffolo, Dominguez, Mangala, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Wood.
Published 3 hours ago
