Jürgen Klopp on LFC fitness latest and selection plans v Genk
Liverpool have no fresh injury concerns to contend with ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League encounter with Genk, Jürgen Klopp has reported.
The Reds take on the Belgian champions at Anfield aiming to strengthen their qualification prospects from Group E.
They will do so with no new fitness worries following Saturday’s hard-fought victory at Aston Villa, with Joel Matip, Xherdan Shaqiri and Nathaniel Clyne the only absentees.
Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com: “I think [it's] pretty much as we looked before the last game [against] Aston Villa, nothing really changed.
“Nobody told me anything. Yesterday in training everybody could do what he had to do, but in this period of the year we know things can happen overnight [but] no, nothing [new] that I know. Everything should be fine.”
The boss did, though, indicate that the quick turnaround between the win at Villa Park and Tuesday's game means 'fresh legs' will be needed.
“The problem is not now the game on Sunday [against Manchester City] because between Tuesday and Sunday is a lot of time, but of course we have to think a little bit about Saturday to Tuesday – that’s the shorter break between the games, so we have to think,” Klopp stated.
“But it’s all about having the best formation for this game, nothing else. It was always like this and will always be like this. How I said, we respect them a lot and we knew how difficult it was there. Yes, we scored the goals but it was not the best performances of the last 20 years of us and one of the reasons [for that] was Genk, to be honest.
“So, we will hopefully have a couple of fresh legs in. It’s clear that we want that, but it’s not like we will do so many changes that you cannot recognise our team anymore and think ‘who is that?’.
“No, this period was absolutely OK because we made changes against Arsenal, we had to, then we played Aston Villa, now we have to look a little bit at what we do tomorrow night. But then we have enough time to prepare for City.”