---
title: "Klopp defends team selection as Liverpool crash out of FA Cup"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/klopp-defends-team-selection-as-liverpool-crash-out-of-fa-cup/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Henry Jackson"
section: "Articles"
published: "2019-01-08T07:31:16Z"
modified: "2019-01-08T07:32:19Z"
---

# Klopp defends team selection as Liverpool crash out of FA Cup

Jurgen Klopp claims there was not a huge amount he could do about his team selection, following Liverpool’s FA Cup exit on Monday night.

The Reds were beaten 2-1 by Wolves at Molineux, with a much-weakened side fielded, including debuts for Rafa Camacho and Curtis Jones.

Sixteen-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever was also given his Liverpool bow early, following an injury to Dejan Lovren.

Klopp predictably earned criticism for the number of changes he made, but he told [Liverpoolfc.com](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/333078-jurgen-klopp-liverpool-wolves-reaction-fa-cup) that injuries and fatigue played a big part in his selection process:

> It was for different reasons. After the City game we immediately had a few players who were ill, who showed a sore throat and all you can have in this period of the year.

> A few of them were not even in after the City game, so there was no chance. Pretty much all the players who were not here today had little problems, apart from Ali.

> So we had to make late changes; yesterday, Adam \[Lallana\] was in our plans, like Hendo was in the plans. Dejan was not in the plans, he should only have been on the bench and then what happened, happened.

![Michael Regan/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/readliverpoolfc/2019/01/1078855366.jpg)

> We brought Mo and Bobby on and it looked obviously a little bit different. But the intensity of the last few games gave me the information it was not possible to start with these three up front.

> Only Dejan played a lot of games in the last three or four weeks, pretty much all the games, that’s why he was not involved \[in the original plans\].

> He played today and was injured; Hendo yesterday; Millie had his injury already.

> That’s the situation – not too cool. It was not really to change for today. That’s the story of the game.

While the defeat is undoubtedly disappointing for Liverpool, it now means they will earn more rest later in the season.

It will allow Klopp to keep his players as fresh as possible, as they attempt to win a first-ever Premier League title.