With just days between fixtures, Klopp may need to rotate his squad after an intense FA Cup final win.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is anticipating the need to make several changes to his squad for their upcoming Premier League clash with Southampton, following their gruelling FA Cup final victory over Chelsea just three days prior.

The Reds face Southampton on Tuesday on the south coast, but after a taxing 120-minute final at Wembley, Klopp is concerned about the fitness of key players. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk were both forced off through injury in the final, while Andy Robertson may not be risked after suffering from cramp.

Liverpool are in a must-win situation if they are to keep their slim hopes of catching Manchester City alive, but Klopp must balance this with the need to manage the workload of his players, especially with the Champions League final on the horizon.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Klopp explained: “The process of assessing the players is still ongoing. We played 120 minutes just two days ago. The players only returned today, so we have a lot of decisions to make. Those extra 30 minutes made a huge difference.”

Klopp pointed out the contrast between his team’s fatigue and Southampton’s freshness, having last played over a week ago. “They are completely fresh, and they’re a high-energy, well-organised team. If we make changes, we risk losing the advantage of our rhythm,” he added.

The Liverpool boss made it clear that, despite the tight turnaround, changes would be necessary. “If we go there with 10 or 8 players who played 120 minutes, it wouldn’t make sense,” he said. “We will need to make changes, but I don’t know how many yet. I will speak to the players.”

A loss to Southampton would end Liverpool’s quadruple hopes and see Manchester City crowned champions, yet after City’s 2-2 draw with West Ham, Liverpool still have a chance to move within a point of their rivals ahead of the final round of fixtures.

Klopp remained optimistic, stating, “What I can promise is that we will line up to win the game at Southampton. We will assess who is ready to help, and we will give everything to make it happen.” He also acknowledged the tight scheduling, with the match initially postponed due to Liverpool’s FA Cup final involvement.

With the final round of Premier League fixtures not set until Sunday, Klopp expressed his frustration at the timing. “They could have given us an extra day of rest, but it seems Thursday wasn’t an option due to the Europa League final,” he said. “We’ll just get on with it, and I’m excited for the game ahead.”