Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is mad that his star player Adam Lallana picked up an injury whilst in action for the Three Lions during a crucial moment for the club this season.
The German tactician says he is not pleased with the scheduling of the friendly against Germany – which England lost 1-0 courtesy of a Lucas Podolski strike.
Lallana was injured in the first half of the clash with Lithuania. However he played the entire game thinking it was just a dead leg. On reaching Anfield, the thigh injury has been checked out, with the professionals declaring him unfit for the next four weeks.
Liverpool are involved with Everton in a Merseyside derby this weekend, and they are in the race for the top four as the season winds down. So evidently Klopp is angry that he is a man down during this time in the campaign.
“It’s hard for us to lose a player like Adam for four weeks, which would be eight games – it’s a lot. Whoever though it was a good idea to play Manchester City and Liverpool on Sunday night and then Germany against England on Wednesday – it makes no sense.
“We all have to start to work much better together: the FA, the Premier League, television and the clubs because we’re trying to sell the best product,” Klopp said.
Klopp added that the national team should have rested Lallana after playing “one of the most intense games in the league” when Liverpool played City at the Etihad.
Klopp seemed to criticize the setting up of friendly games now when players were actively playing for their clubs.
“Players should have a holiday but they’re playing friendly games for their national teams,” the former Dortmund coach said.
Lallana picked up a groin concern after the friendly match with Spain in the last international window last year. He was sidelined for weeks and came back a little below the form we were used to. He seemed to be hitting such form before picking up another injury in the first international window this year.
Klopp insisted that he does blame Gareth Southgate – who called him after the injury.