Programme notesKlopp: Absence of AFCON trio presents fantastic opportunity for others

The trio are away in Cameroon with their respective national teams competing at the Africa Cup of Nations, which started earlier this month and concludes on February 6.

But the fixtures keep on coming for the Reds as they welcome Brentford to Anfield in the Premier League this afternoon, with Klopp expressing the need for every member of his squad to contribute during this time.

In his column for the matchday programme, the boss writes: “We are in the period now whereby we have these matches with three players currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Firstly, for the three guys – Sadio, Naby and Mo – I wish them nothing but joy, luck and success while competing in this great competition.

“At the time of writing this, all three have played their opening group games, with varying experiences. Sadio and Naby got off to a winning start, but unfortunately for Mo his afternoon was a little more frustrating.

“We are all following the matches on TV and, as a team, we are supporting all three when their respective nations are in action. By the time these words are public the game will have already taken place, but Senegal v Guinea was always going to be a little more complicated emotionally. Hopefully it finished 3-3 with both our boys grabbing hat-tricks!

“Hand on heart I would love one of them to go all the way and become champions. I know what it means to them. I hope they enjoy every second of their time competing.

“For us, it means we must play without them, including today, until they return. But that is absolutely fine. It presents fantastic opportunity for other players. This is how we view it.

“It’s a topic I have often spoken about, but it is so true that to be successful the entire squad has a role to play. We never view it as first choices in terms of team selection actually. It’s about the right team for the specific fixture.

“This is an intense period and each and every player’s contribution will be critical, if we are to get the results we want.

“Every second of every game is an opportunity for us if we are minded to view it as such. We can’t switch off even for the briefest of moments and we must not lose focus. We have to be in every moment. We must be ready in every moment.

“The quality of the opponent is too strong for us to be anything other than our best at all times.

“These comments apply to Anfield as well, although I know that like my players the fans need no reminding. I get it that early afternoon kick-offs in January are not always the most famous times for producing magic, but they can be if we are minded so. This has been our collective story over the past years. We write our own story, together.

“The impact from the supporters will be as crucial today as a European night. It’s actually one of my favourite things about our club: how knowledgeable and perceptive our supporters are. They can sense when we need them.

“Today will absolutely be one of those days. When Anfield is on its toes it doesn’t matter what time of day it is, or whether floodlights are needed. It is the best energy source in world sport and we will be plugged in at times today for sure.”

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