Jurgen Klopp has said he will make “more than one” change to Liverpool’s starting XI for the trip to Burnley on New Year’s Day following the quick switch from the Leicester City match, having not made sweeping alterations in a similar situation last season.
“It was a strange game,” recalled Klopp at a news conference. “To be honest, the last game we played in the old year, City, was fantastic, very intense.
“I’m sure there were a few players on the bench who were not used but we played absolutely OK or more than OK in Sunderland. They had two penalties, oh my God, and that doesn’t help, to be honest.
“It was a strange football day for us. We were fresh enough [and] fit enough for that game, but it’s different. Sunderland that year and Burnley now is completely different.
“I don’t know exactly how many changes we will make [at Burnley], but I would say, for sure, more than one.”
Burnley, who sit seventh in the Premier League table, also have just 48 hours to prepare for the affair having drawn 0-0 at Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
“For me, it’s the most strange situation, because it’s now the third time. Everybody is like: ‘Wow, how will you do that?’. But everybody is so excited to see how we will run into each other two days after we played already and nobody talks about it,” said Klopp of the congested New Year period. “I have no problem with that. We go there.
“The good news is that Burnley played [on Saturday] as well. I don’t think they got the point without running so they have the same thing to do and then that’s fair play. It’s how it is.
“It’s not the best thing to do, I think, but it’s absolutely OK. We will be ready because we have to be ready. That’s not a friendly game for us. It’s a very important game for us.”
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