Jurgen Klopp has explained that it was not the original plan to have Diogo Jota named on Liverpool’s bench for the clash against Rangers.
The Reds are taking on the Scottish Premiership outfit in their fourth Champions League Group A fixture of the competition. Klopp’s side claimed a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture at Anfield last week.
Klopp made six changes from the team that lost 3-2 at Arsenal in the Premier League at the weekend. Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Fabinho, Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho and Roberto Firmino were all brought into the starting line-up.
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Jota was named among the substitutes, but Klopp admitted before the game that the plan was for the Portuguese international to start. However, the Liverpool boss, whose side host Manchester in the Premier League on Sunday, says that he was forced to make a change due to advice from the club’s medical department.
“It’s half an eye to the weekend, we have to realise we are in the middle of a busy period, we cannot force the boys through and we have to make changes,” Klopp told BT Sport, when asked about the reasons behind his team selection.
“If we have changes then we have. Diogo was not planned that’s why yesterday he was in the press conference then you get a call from the medical department and, ‘maybe he can play but not too long’, oh great.
“Then we had to get someone else in who can play 90 minutes, that’s why he’s on the bench and available.”
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