Players need help over festive schedule – Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says players “need help” and wants talks about the festive schedule to continue.

The German is particularly opposed to teams having to play Premier League games on 26 and 28 December.

The Reds avoided such a scenario this year as their game against Leeds United on 26 December was postponed because of Covid-19 cases at the Yorkshire club.

“The situation should not be like this,” said Klopp, whose side are at Leicester City on Tuesday.

“I know so many people think it’s tradition and we want to play on Boxing Day, we could have played on Boxing Day and that would have been no problem at all.

“But playing on the 26th and the 28th is just not right, I just say that because it’s true and I think we can find solutions for that.

“It’s not that difficult to play football in a slightly different way. The 26th and the 29th, where’s the problem?”

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson told BBC Sport he was “concerned” that “nobody really takes player welfare seriously”.

Prior to the game with Leeds being called off Klopp called for “someone to act” over games on 26 and 28 December at a time when there has been an increase in Covid-19 cases.