Noel Whelan suggests Jurgen Klopp frustration over AFCON exits

Noel Whelan has predicted that Jurgen Klopp will be frustrated in the next few weeks at not being able to call upon the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita.

The Reds have known for a good while that the trio would be missing for most of this month as they play in AFCON and that time has now arrived.

The likelihood is that Jurgen Klopp will probably feel pretty at peace with it, too, as he knows that he cannot change things now and has to deal with it, but Whelan is suggesting that the manager might still feel a sense of frustration underneath at losing three important players.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said:

“If I was Liverpool manager, I’d be hating the fact that they’re going.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s tradition. They go out there and they play, no difference to the South American cup.

“But at the same time, to lose a player of that stature, you know he can change the game. He scored the goal, he’s back on those winning ways again and that confidence is sky-high.

“To lose players like that when you’re 11 points behind Manchester City, who don’t seem to know how to lose at the minute, you want your better players there.

“They’re going to miss two, if not three, huge players in that team. That could make a difference in them fighting for that championship.”

Anfield Watch Verdict

Of course, it's far from ideal for Liverpool to be losing their best player, one of their other best attackers and a midfielder from the squad but that is what has happened and the Reds must deal with it.

Liverpool do have attacking players that can come in and do a job for the games that lie ahead but, of course, it's still not going to be the same as having the regular trio.

It is what it is, though, and Klopp will surely have accepted this a while ago having known the tournament was on the way.