Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota returned from international duty with “little” fitness issues, forcing them onto the bench against Brighton.
The Reds enjoyed a positive spell between fixtures as Jordan Henderson, Ibrahima Konate, Calvin Ramsay and Caoimhin Kelleher all returned from injury.
Furthermore, there appeared to be no new setbacks, and for the likes of Thiago, Joel Matip and James Milner, the time off provided an opportunity to rest.
But when the teamsheet for Liverpool vs. Brighton was revealed at 2pm on Saturday, there were three glaring omissions.
Nunez, Jota and Luis Diaz were all named among the substitutes, with Fabio Carvalho and Roberto Firmino coming into attack alongside Mohamed Salah.
Klopp had already explained in his pre-match press conference that the club had taken “precaution” with Nunez and Jota, with the pair sitting out of training in the buildup.
And speaking before kickoff at Anfield, the manager said: “Darwin and Diogo came home with little things, and the medical department asked me not to start them.”
He added that they are “probably able to come on” but he would “have to wait and see,” suggesting that, in an ideal world, he would prefer not to use either of his reserve strikers.
In Diaz’s case, a place on the bench comes due to a late return from duty with Colombia, who played Guatemala and Mexico in friendlies in the United States.
The winger started the two ties in New Jersey and California, and was arguably in need of a rest having played 90 minutes in each of the last seven games for Liverpool across Premier League and Champions League.
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