As Arsenal gear up for the Emirates FA Cup third-round clash against Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has shed light on his team’s preparations and challenges.

This weekend’s match, followed closely by Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham, sees the Reds entering a crucial phase in their cup ambitions, two seasons after their last FA Cup triumph.

Klopp, in his pre-match press conference, discussed the Reds’ approach to the clash with Mikel Arteta‘s Arsenal.

He highlighted the importance of squad rotation and the need to navigate through a demanding January. Klopp remarked, “We have the most busy month you can imagine in December and then some teams don’t play that often in January. We don’t have that, we have now with the semi-final, we have a proper rhythm.”

Addressing squad rotation, Klopp said, “I am not sure if Arsenal is now a game to rotate. We have six days between the games, that’s long and there’s no need for rotation.” This suggests Liverpool might field a strong side against Arsenal, acknowledging the high stakes of the tie.

Liverpool will be without key players Mo Salah and Wataru Endo, who are on international duty. Klopp commented, “If I said if I wish you good luck it would be a lie! No, I do, obviously!”

Liverpool’s challenge is compounded by the absence of Dominik Szoboszlai due to a hamstring injury.

Klopp provided an update on Szoboszlai, confirming his unavailability for the Arsenal match: “It’s his muscle, hamstring. How long? We have to see. No chance for Sunday or Wednesday and then we will see after that.”