LIVERPOOL will bring all of their stars to the Club World Cup – leaving their kids to play in the EFL.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has named a full-strength 23 for the tournament in Qatar as he prioritises the international gong.
Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, left to right, will head to Qatar this monthCredit: REUTERS
The Champions League winners face an astonishing fixture pile-up this month as they play the Club World Cup semi-final on December 18 – less than 24 HOURS after a Carabao Cup clash with Aston Villa.
And in a bid to solve the problem, EFL chiefs will allow the Reds to field a weakened team in the quarter-final.
Liverpool are heading to the Middle East to take on competition winners from across the world and will hope to be in the final on December 21.
Liverpool’s semi-final will be against Qatar’s Al-Sadd, Hienghene Sport from New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean, or Mexico’s Monterrey in Doha.
And on the other side of the draw, Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo will hope to set up a showdown against the Anfield giants by seeing off Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal and Esperance de Tunis.
The Reds’ Premier League clash with West Ham has already been postponed due to the congestion, meaning the players can have a few days rest before travelling to Leicester on December 26.
Questions have been raised about how the decision will affect perceptions of the EFL Cup as the Fifa trophy is given precedence.
But organisers have accepted the Reds’ argument that they are “committing to fielding a team that is largely consistent with those that have participated in earlier rounds of this season’s competition”.
In a statement, League chiefs said: “The EFL’s overwhelming priority is to maintain the integrity of the Carabao Cup
“The decision taken is intended to protect the best interests of a competition that attracts millions of viewers at home and abroad with the final broadcast in more than 130 territories worldwide.
“It is also the best decision in minimising the impact of rescheduling the final stages of the competition on those clubs who remain in the Carabao Cup and the knock-on effect this would have in both the FA Cup and the Premier League.”
Liverpool Fifa Club World Cup squad: Alisson, Van Dijk, Wijnaldum, Lovren, Milner, Keita, Firmino, Mane, Salah, Gomez, Adrian, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Lonergan, Shaqiri, Brewster, Robertson, Origi, Jones, Alexander-Arnold, Elliott, Williams.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
