Klopp defends Liverpool squad size

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has defended the size of his squad as he looks to finalise his team selection for Sunday’s League Cup final against Manchester City.

Klopp goes to Wembley in search of his first piece of silverware in charge of Liverpool following a patchy run of form in the Premier League, while Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Augsburg was enough to reach the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face Manchester United.

Critics point to the size of Liverpool’s squad and the big-money signing of misfit players such as Christian Benteke and Mario Balotelli as factors hindering the team’s progress, but Klopp - who conceded choosing his matchday squad for Sunday will be a difficult task - is quick to refute that suggestion.

“We’ve had a lot of problems since my time here but I’ve never had the problem of having too many players,” he told a news conference.

“Some players will be disappointed, for sure. I had 30 players in training and it was of the highest level.

“They are all ready but now I have to make decisions. Not today, but overnight. But I will make them, so it’s no problem.

“Making a squad this time is the best thing I have to do and the most difficult thing I have had to do.”

And while the League Cup is not the biggest prize on offer in English football, Klopp - a Bundesliga winner and Champions League finalist at Borussia Dortmund - claimed his team are determined to seize any opportunity to capture silverware.

“We’re in this job to win things - titles, cups, whatever. A lot of players or managers can work their whole life and not win anything. I’m sure you will see we really want to win this.”