Pep Lijnders Reveals How Liverpool Plan to Tackle Club World Cup & Carabao Cup Fixture Congestion

​Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has reiterated the desire of the side to lift the Club World Cup trophy, despite the fixture congestion that goes alongside it. 

The Reds overcame Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final, booking their place at the Club World Cup in Qatar. Their semi-final clash is due to take pace on 18 December, but Jurgen Klopp’s men also face a trip to take on Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup the day prior.

Jurgen Klopp

The manager previously refused to dismiss the idea of pulling Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup if a solution to the intense fixture scheduling was not found. Further to this, the ​club had also enquired about the possibility of fielding two different teams for the two competitions, with one squad taking on Villa while the others make the 7,000-mile trip to Qatar.

Despite the frustration and lack of clarity, assistant manager Lijnders has revealed that a plan is in place to ensure things run smoothly. 

“It is important with a ‘culture of victory’ because each prize we can win is important, so we try to attack each competition we play,” he told ​Liverpool FC official magazine. 

“But, for me, the most important thing is the chance to show, in a different part of the world, our identity and our philosophy and a real spirit of initiative. 

Pepijn Lijnders

“In a perfect world people should look forward to seeing us play. As regards [to] changing between England and Qatar, we already have the people in charge who are preparing to make this process as smooth as possible. 

“We have to ignore what’s beyond our control whatever the circumstances. This is what we always try to do, but in these periods, it will be even more the case.”

The assistant has emphasised just how seriously the club are taking the Club World Cup, adding: “It would be incredible to become champions of the world. Not many big teams get this chance. It’s a mark, a stamp of a strong process over many years.

Harvey Elliott,Rhian Brewster,Nico Williams,Joe Gomez

“We will show we care and we will show what we want to achieve. We will fight for a result and make it an intense game from our side.”

​Liverpool are set for a busy end to the year, but it appears as though they are very keen on securing a first Club World Cup title in the upcoming tournament in Qatar, no matter the circumstances. 

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