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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will risk the wrath of the Football Association and public opinion by fielding a youth team in their FA Cup replay with Shrewsbury.<\/p>\nLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will risk the wrath of the Football Association and public opinion by fielding a youth team in their FA Cup replay with Shrewsbury.<\/p>\n
Having conceded a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at the Montgomery Waters Stadium, Klopp immediately said he would be respecting next month\u2019s Premier League winter break and neither he nor his senior players would be present at Anfield for the return fixture.<\/p>\n
Instead he will do what he did in December when there was a clash between their Club World Cup commitments in Qatar and a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa and send out under-23 manager Neil Critchley and his team of youngsters.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn April 2019 we got a letter from the Premier League, I think, where they asked us to respect the winter break and not to organize international friendlies or competitive games. We respect that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I said to the boys already two weeks ago that we will have a winter break which means we will not be there. It will be the kids who play that game.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot deal with us like nobody cares about it. I know that it\u2019s not very popular but that\u2019s the way I see it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Premier League asked us to respect the winter break. That\u2019s what we do. If the FA doesn\u2019t respect that, then we cannot change it. We will not be there.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes that mean I won\u2019t be there? Yes. Neil Critchley will be in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Klopp has long been a critic of the football calendar, when games are scheduled and how frequently, so feels it would be hypocritical not to take advantage of a break which has been penciled in for a year.<\/p>\n
\u201cInternational players like Jordan Henderson, Virgil Van Dijk, Gini Wijnaldum, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, all these guys, they are never off,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s clear there would be a winter break months ago, before I knew the FA Cup replay could come in between.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can give you the letter (from the Premier League), it\u2019s like it is, we have to respect it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe players will have one week off. They don\u2019t have it \u2018off\u2019, they will train but they will train for themselves. They have running programs, they have fitness programs, that\u2019s what they do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey never have \u2018off\u2019 but they don\u2019t come to Melwood and they don\u2019t play a football game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The problem could have been easily avoided had they not squandered the advantage given to them by Curtis Jones\u2019 second successive FA Cup game with a goal and an own goal from Donald Love.<\/p>\n
Shrews substitute Jason Cummings came off the bench to score twice in 10 minutes and could have snatched an added-time winner.<\/p>\n