Liverpool have named a strong 23-man squad for the Fifa Club World Cup — which clashes with their Carabao Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa.
Eighteen of the 19 players named in Jurgen Klopp’s two Premier League matchday squads over the past week will travel to Qatar. Youngsters Rhian Brewster, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Neco Williams have also been named in the party.
It means the quartet are set to miss the cup match at Villa. The selection confirms that Liverpool are concentrating their senior player resources on the Club World Cup as they deal with a schedule clash.
Klopp’s side will play at Villa on December 17 and will compete in the Club World Cup semi-final in Qatar the following day.
The Premier League leaders are fielding different teams in two separate competitions within 24 hours because they said alternative dates were not considered ‘suitable without compromising the scheduling of the competition itself or placing an undue strain on our playing staff’.
Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, named on the bench as Liverpool beat Everton 5-2 on Wednesday, is the only player to have featured in a Liverpool first-team matchday squad this week who will not be at the Club World Cup. Andy Lonergan is instead travelling to the tournament as one of three goalkeepers alongside Alisson and Adrian.
Centre-back Joel Matip and midfielder Fabinho are both injured and have not been included in the Club World Cup squad.
Liverpool squad: Alisson, Van Dijk, Wijnaldum, Lovren, Milner, Keita, Firmino, Mane, Salah, Gomez, Adrian, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Lonergan, Shaqiri, Brewster, Robertson, Origi, Jones, Alexander-Arnold, Elliott, Williams.
