Friday 3 January 2020 15:25, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he does respect the FA Cup but his priority has to be the well-being of his players.
Klopp has only 12 fit senior outfield players plus new signing Takumi Minamino, who is set for his debut, for Sunday's Merseyside derby third-round tie at home to Everton.
It leaves him with few options to rest players but such has been the workload on them he does not know which will be available to him at the weekend.
"People told me already a couple of times that I wouldn't respect the cup competitions. It's just not true. Everybody is allowed to have an opinion but my first job is to respect the players," he said.
"That is absolutely my number one job - I see them every day.
"I've got to decide if it's allowed to play them again. It looks like the federations around want to make it more tricky.
"How can you look at a situation like Newcastle [against Leicester earlier this week] - losing four players in one game - and not think 'this is crazy'."
Sunday's game at Anfield gives Klopp a chance to renew acquaintances with Everton counterpart Carlo Ancelotti with whom he enjoys a very cordial relationship.
Everton brought in Ancelotti after sacking Marco Silva, and the Italian is one of just three managers (along with Pep Guardiola and Dean Smith) to have beaten Liverpool this season, having guided Napoli to an impressive 2-0 win over the Reds in the Champions League group stage.
Klopp expects Ancelotti to thrive at Goodison Park and says the 60-year-old is an inspirational figure who will already have undoubtedly given the Everton players a huge lift.
"Carlo Ancelotti is one of the smartest people I have ever met and he wouldn't have taken job if he didn't have a good squad or is convinced that the Everton squad is good," Klopp said.
"It is a really, really good squad [at Everton]. They have made a lot of investments in the transfer market in the last few years.
"It didn't work out for some reasons, but the combination of a good manager and a good squad can help in football.
"Carlo is somebody who can lift the group in the moment when he enters the room. You heard his press conference this morning - I'm sure you left his press conference in a better mood than when you came!"
