LONDON - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted Monday that
his side are a little under-done as they prepare for this weekend's
Community Shield against Manchester City.
Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Alisson only return to training later
Monday while Sadio Mane will miss Sunday's Wembley clash after
playing with Senegal in the African Cup of Nations.
"I don't want to find excuses before we play them but we had
pre-season without six players," Klopp told a press conference.
"I can't change that. I can't say we've had the best pre-season of
our lives, the sessions were good but the games came at the wrong
moment."
But Klopp said his team, who won the Champions League at the start of
last month, would still be ready to face Premier League champions
City at Wembley.
"I don't think we can expect to play our best game on Sunday, but
it's about winning," he said.
"There are different ways to do it, and we want to find one. I won
Super Cup in Germany five times - if you win it nobody cares, if you
lose it some people care."
A string of poor pre-season results caused concern among Liverpool
fans but Klopp, who takes his squad to France for a final training
camp this week, said the match was important only in itself.
"It's a final," he said. "A curtain-raiser? It's the first time
anybody has explained it like that to me.
"We will try to be as ready as possible. If we win, great. Does it
have an influence on the season? I don't think so. If we lose, not
great. Does it have an influence on the season, it's not allowed."
City, by contrast, have been in good form in pre-season and having
beaten Liverpool by one point to win the title last season, they look
favourites for the title once more.
"What I've seen so far, Manchester City look good," Klopp
said. "Apart from Sergio Aguero I think all the players have been in.
"It's the same as last season, Manchester City is the most difficult
game to play during a a season."