Jurgen Klopp has hinted he will name a strong side for Liverpool’s FA Cup third round trip to Arsenal on Sunday.
The Reds, who will be without 10 first team players at the Emirates, return to action in the capital for the first time since their 4-2 victory over Newcastle United on New Year’s Day. However, after facing the Gunners, they then host Fulham in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals on Wednesday 10 January before the Premier League’s winter break.
This season marks the first with a winter break since the 2019/20, following the knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the mid-season 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That year, Klopp named a youthful Liverpool side to face Everton in the FA Cup third round as Curtis Jones’ long-range strike earned a 1-0 win.
Then needing a replay to get past League One side Shrewsbury Town, the German named a much-changed side for the original tie, before Under-23s manager Neil Critchley led a squad of Academy players to victory in the replay which fell during the winter break.
But Klopp has suggested that history won’t repeat itself this season and that he intends to name strong side against the Gunners.
“With Wataru, five or six weeks ago you probably would have said, ‘He’s gone – who cares?’” he conceded. “But now you see the real quality of the boy and now he’s gone, it’s not great because he really helped us a lot.
“But now Macca (Mac Allister) is back. And all these things start again. ‘ Yeah, but he’s not a proper six’. All these things. Oh god.
“And then Mo is not there, yes, but he wasn’t there for the West Ham game and it was one of the best games we’ve played.
“West Ham is in a sensational moment. They win at home against everybody and get results everywhere. It didn’t look like that that night because we were exceptional.
“So let’s have a look. There are no guarantees. Does anybody expect we have a second Mo Salah outside? He can’t be up to speed with the same goalscoring record. That’s not possible.
“But we will find a way to play football. How successful it will be, the next game will show.”
