Klopp on Mignolet start and other line-up changes v Chelsea
Simon Mignolet will start Liverpool’s Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday night, Jürgen Klopp has confirmed.
The goalkeeper will be handed his first appearance of the season, replacing Alisson Becker between the posts for the third-round fixture.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Klopp said: “The only position I will confirm today that we will change if nothing happens in training is Simon.
“Simon will start, all the rest you have to wait until tomorrow – but it will be a good team, believe me.
“Nothing else to say about line-up or who can have an opportunity or whatever. Each game is an opportunity and it’s all about is it the situation for it, is the player ready – there are different things you have to consider when think about the line-up, especially for a cup game like this.
“It will be a very good side that we will line up tomorrow.”
Asked for details on whether he’d made any further changes to his line-up for the encounter, Klopp refused to be drawn on what kind of team Liverpool are likely to field against Chelsea, other than to insist it would be a ‘really strong side’.
“I have nothing to say about that, to be honest,” continued the boss. “I don’t think I will get any information until tomorrow about the line-up of Chelsea. So, why should I give any? We are really competitive, and we really want to win the game.
“We will see. I have to make decisions, I will make decisions and it will be a really strong side. I will not even name the number of changes, but it will not be the maximum and it will not be the minimum – it’s between them. We will see.
“One I have already confirmed, so it cannot be nil [changes], and it will for sure not be 11.
“We will have a good team and I really want to see us playing good football because it’s our rhythm and we are used to playing three times a week, so let’s do it.”
With Mignolet set to be handed a first run out of the campaign, Klopp was asked on how the ‘keeper has responded to Alisson’s summer arrival and subsequent installation as the Reds’ No.1.
“Brilliant,” he stated. “He has been brilliant. Yes, how you can imagine, a transfer window time is one of two moments in the year when you can make decisions about going somewhere or bringing players in.
“Yes, Simon would have been ready to go to another club to be the No.1 in the world, that was clear, but we couldn’t do it and since then he’s been brilliant.
“He trains fantastic, it’s all good, and he absolutely deserves the game tomorrow. I am really happy to give him the opportunity, that’s all.”