Jurgen Klopp had a lot to say in his press conference on Liverpool’s upcoming game against Porto. He spoke about team selection and choosing the right combination for this match. Klopp also stressed on Tyler Morton and the rest who could be available for this tie.
Liverpool smashed Porto 1-5 in their previous meeting away in Portugal. The Reds had a wonderful outing which saw Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino score braces. While Sadio Mane was another addition to the score sheet which sealed comfortable 3 points for Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Liverpool recently overcame the unbeaten run of Arsenal in the Premier League. The emphatic 4-0 win over the Gunners will boost their confidence going into this game. It will be delightful to see if Klopp’s men can carry on the same form into this match.
Klopp will look to ensure that his squad is in good shape despite the injuries that have occurred. Thus, a lot of rotation is expected keeping the overall tight schedule in mind.
Jurgen Klopp press conference: key take aways:
- Klopp to rotate the squad
Liverpool have already secured the knockout spot. However, with injuries on, Klopp will certainly use fresh legs for this fixture. The options are less and this will be a tough test for Klopp and his boys. As he said:
We always respect the competition.
Jordan Henderson and Andy Robertson remain on the radar to prove their fitness, as rotation to the playing eleven remains intact.
We will see about Hendo. He was not 100 percent yesterday. He can do everything to be 100 percent fit. Robbo looks similar too. I will have to decide on starting them or not.
2. Klopp frustrated on Jota’s injury
It is a gutty phase for Klopp right now having to deal with the team selection. With Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota injured, it is quite difficult for Klopp to rotate the front line.
It is easy to say and judge us in these times. Saying ‘leave him out’ in not the right thing. We do not have so many players by the way. The Jota situation is so unfortunate and I hate it. Should I make changes therefore? Yes, because stability is required.
The hunger for winning goes on
3. Keep wanting to win
Irrespective of what the condition is right now, Klopp has to rotate his squad keeping a winning mentality for every game.
All expect us to win every game. The pressure on us is high. We do not have to win tomorrow’s game but we want to. We have always fought till the last moment in every group match throughout our history.
4. Confidence high for Morton
Tyler Morton is in contention for the Porto tie. Klopp praised him to the fullest for his massive growth over the recent months.
He was not overconfident. He adapted well to the first team process. Then, he played well against Norwich. He made a lot of difference to be honest. His confidence blew and I saw him like that for the first time.
5. Finishing on a high note
Klopp and his boys would definitely want to finish off the group stage with a 100 percent record. Thus, it will require a lot of determination and a great character if they want to keep the winning momentum alive.
