Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hit out at Premier League’s television scheduling claiming Manchester City have and advantage as both sides square off in a crucial clash at Anfield on Sunday.
Ahead of the Reds’ second leg encounter against Besiktas in the Round of 32 in the Europa League, Rodgers said that his side will have little time to get rest before taking the field against City.
Rodgers said as quoted by Liverpool Echo, “It’s not ideal, especially if you don’t get help, and we’re on [TV] when we are in the early kickoff on Sunday”
“There wasn’t a great deal we could do about it. We’re just trying to manage the situation to try and get the result we need to get us through. That extra period of 48 hours that City will have could be crucial, certainly physically. We don’t get back until 3am so we will have very little preparation time. It’ll just be about recovery.”
Liverpool would be returning from their trip from Turkey after the second leg and the game against City could be vital in their quest for the top four come at the end of the season. City too will be looking to get full three points from Anfield as they are behind to top placed Chelsea by five points.
Rodgers continued, “We can’t train on the pitch at Anfield, we can’t make it any worse than it is, so we’re having to train in daylight hours, where we could have trained later in the evening at Anfield.”
“That doesn’t help us either. It’ll be 3am when we get back, the players will probably get home around 4.30am. Then we’ll aim to train and recover later that day.”
“The key in it is the rest. At this stage of the season the physical condition of the players is there. What is vital is that sleep and rest. They will not rest much going back on the plane, with the adrenaline still flowing after a game. They will not sleep so well. Friday will be about rest. Then we prepare Saturday, game Sunday.”
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