The idea that cup competitions will provide younger players more opportunities has been dismissed by Klopp.
The idea that the Europa League will provide younger Liverpool players greater opportunities has been rejected by Jurgen Klopp, who maintains that they will only break through when they are ready.
Additionally, in advance of Leicester City’s League Cup visit to Anfield the following week, the Reds boss has refrained from offering any guarantees to a group of brilliant youths.
The Reds defeated Austria 3-1 on Thursday with to goals from Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, and Mohamed Salah in the second half of Klopp’s eleven-change Europa League debut at LASK.
Despite the changes, only 17-year-old Ben Doak could be regarded as a youth prospect; nonetheless, Stefan Bajcetic returned and made his 20th professional appearance after missing six months with an adductor injury.
The starting XI at the Raiffeisen Arena was predominantly an experienced one, with players like Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Kostas Tsimikas playing alongside goal scorers Nunez and Diaz, despite the desire to add a few more from the club’s academy ranks.
When asked if the Europa League and League Cup currently gave Klopp an opportunity to break some of the younger players into the group, the Reds manager said it was more important that they be prepared for whenever it should occur rather than worrying about when those prospects made their senior debuts.
“Now we’ll see. I completely understand the question, but it is still early in the season, so when everyone is healthy, the really young lads won’t likely get as much action, according to Klopp. However, it is not a problem whether you are 17, 18, or 19 years old. It’s wonderful to play a game now and again. It is much more crucial that you play these games when you are truly prepared for them.
“It’s actually there to bring them in when they are truly ready to do it, not to show that they are almost there. At the end of their careers, it makes no difference if some of them are or are not. Whether your first game took place in September 2023 or September 2024 is unimportant.
“Really, it doesn’t matter, but during that period of time, it makes a significant difference for some individuals, but when you look back on the conclusion of your career, it doesn’t. So, clearly, the most crucial thing is to be as successful as you can. However, it is important to use the player at the right time for them”.
Jarell Quansah, who made his full Premier League debut in the 3-1 victory at Wolves last week before succumbing to a spell of cramp in the final seconds, is one rookie that Klopp has given game time to this season.
The recent defensive injuries and captain Virgil van Dijk’s ban have benefited the England Under-20 international, and Klopp has been impressed with how Quansah has risen to the occasion so far this season.
He is at the right club at the right time, that is all, said Klopp. He is our son and a wonderful son. He had a fantastic preseason with us and earned the right to start the last matchup versus Wolves. Some could argue that we made a brave choice, but I disagree because Ibou (Konate) was definitely ready to go after two days of practice.
“Jarell was present, so we didn’t have to, which I really enjoyed. “Centre-halves, we’ve had to bring them in with around half an hour’s training pretty much because the others weren’t ready [in the past]. After the game, it was good to see him grinning; he now has nine points from three games, which is not a terrible record”.