The final international break of the year comes ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s schedule to play 10 consecutive games at 31-day intervals until 2023.
The year is almost over but it is still the busiest time of the year for Liverpool as they have three different competitions to play in a very short space of time.
By then, all 18 players in Klopp’s starting XI are expected to return injury-free, unlike the last international break.
When the Reds return, they will play 10 games between 2023 and 2024 (an average of one game every 3.1 days), with more to come.
In 10 games, Liverpool have recorded five away draws and five draws at Anfield.
That includes three consecutive away games (Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Union SG) and then three home matches on the bounce (Man United, West Ham and Arsenal) immediately after.
Liverpool’s remaining fixtures of 2023
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Sunday, October 29, 2023: Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez (R) celebrates with team-mate captain Virgil van Dijk after scoring the second goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield.
Man City (A) – Premier League – Nov 25
LASK (H) – Europa League – Nov 30
Fulham (H) – Premier League – Dec 3
Sheffield United (A) – Premier League – Dec 6
Crystal Palace (A) – Premier League – Dec 9
Union SG (A) – Europa League – Dec 14
Man United (H) – Premier League – Dec 17
West Ham (H) – League Cup quarter-final – Dec 20
Arsenal (H) – Premier League – Dec 23
Burnley (A) – Premier League – Dec 26
It will not have escaped Klopp’s attention that he has a further two Saturday lunchtime kick-offs to navigate, first at Man City (Nov 25) and then shortly after at Crystal Palace (Dec 9).
On the trip to the Etihad, which is immediately following the international break, Klopp said: “Honestly, the people making the decisions, they cannot feel football, it is just not possible.”
We have to agree. A game of that magnitude will not be played at the level it is capable of when both teams have their preparation time limited to a single day thanks to late international returnees.
What will be of interest is to see how the Reds navigate three away games in the space of eight days before then hosting both Man United (Dec 17) and Arsenal (Dec 23) in the league, plus West Ham in the League Cup sandwiched in between.
Klopp will need to continue his rotation policy – he’s averaged 7.7 changes in the last 10 matches – and hope that injuries do not become a mounting problem at the busiest time of the season.
