Klopp: Fewer substitutions will have knock-on effect for England at Euros

Jurgen Klopp says he is disappointed that Premier League shareholders did not vote to increase the number of substitutions per game to five.

Published : Dec 04, 2020 20:38 IST

Klopp...“So many players are on edge, you don’t know who will go down first.” - AP
Klopp...“So many players are on edge, you don’t know who will go down first.” - AP
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Klopp...“So many players are on edge, you don’t know who will go down first.” - AP

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said on Friday he was disappointed that Premier League shareholders did not vote to increase the number of substitutions per game to five and said England would suffer at the Euros due to the congested match schedule.

England’s top flight returned to three substitutions per game this season even though the option was on the table to continue with five, a temporary rule other top European leagues have implemented after the pandemic condensed their seasons.

'Not a good sign'

“It’s not a good sign. It shows they ignore player welfare... So many players are on edge, you don’t know who will go down first,” Klopp told reporters ahead of Sunday’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“Nobody thought [the vote] would go through. The facts were if we voted [last month] it would have gone through, but that it hasn’t happened since is a sign the shareholders see it different to their managers.

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“All teams will have to play every three days now... Next summer it will be a problem for (England manager) Gareth Southgate. Most of them have played so far three times a week, so Gareth will get what we can give him, and that’s an FA problem.”

'Cannot ignore it'

Klopp said that Fulham boss Scott Parker mentioned at the manager’s meeting that having only three substitutes helped the London club, but the German boss said it was no longer a debate about a team’s advantage but one of player welfare.

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“Because we haven’t voted yesterday, it doesn’t make the problem go away,” Klopp added.

“It’s about all the players and load management, nothing else. Not for an advantage, for dealing with the COVID problem in the best way. We cannot ignore it.”

Liverpool has been hit by a number of injuries to key players, but Klopp said right back Trent Alexander-Arnold and midfielder Naby Keita could make their returns. “There’s a chance Naby and Trent are in the squad, but if they can start and play 90 minutes, I don’t know.”

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