Klopp glad 'smart' Liverpool players understand need for rotation

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SHOWS: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING:

"In this moment you need a smart squad. People with half a brain at least. Best will be a full brain because I cannot explain things properly all the time they have to understand it without telling them. So, let me say it like this. Thank god we have that. That makes my life much easier. Because Shaq (Xherdan Shaqiri) was injured twice with the same injury, which reinjured a little bit and then that took time. And then coming back it takes time. And then as the situation as the team is winning pretty much all the games. And then it's not if you didn't get frustrated that you don't play, that's not smart."

STORY: Liverpool's players are smart enough to understand the need for rotation as the Premier League leaders grapple with a busy run of fixtures across all competitions, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday (December 6).

Liverpool kicked off a run of nine fixtures this month with a 5-2 league victory over Everton on Wednesday (December 4) and will field a young side in the League Cup on Dec. 17 while their best players are at the Club World Cup in Qatar the following day.

"In this moment you need a smart squad, people with half a brain at least," Klopp told reporters when asked about squad management ahead of Saturday's (December 7) league trip to Bournemouth.

Against Everton, Klopp, whose side lead second-placed Leicester City by eight points, made five changes to the side that beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 last Saturday.