Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola faces a major squad-management challenge in deciding who can cope with a tough upcoming schedule as he heads to Anfield for his next League Cup encounter with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
Iraola has been playing both games for Liverpool since replacing Arne Slot and has swiftly become a double threat. Playing in the third round of the Champions League after a victory over Atletico Madrid, the Reds have three draws in four Premier League games, finishing 7th in the table.
One of the Liverpool manager’s biggest challenges in his first few games is working with players’ reactions to games every three days, he admits.
“Some players can play every three days without problems at all, while others are at risk of injury or their performance suffers when games are back to back,” Iraola said.
The Spaniard claimed he is already confident with some of the team’s more experienced players, such as captain Virgil van Dijk, who have all played at the top level before and are able to handle the amount of work. But Iraola feels that more attention needs to be paid to younger players and those recently from abroad. He added that they will have to be evaluated on a person-by-person basis first before Liverpool decides on a preferred rotation plan.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is likely to be the first goalkeeper to appear for Tuesday’s encounter with Tottenham, replacing Alisson Becker. The manager admitted that he has always been a fan of the Georgian goalkeeper and he had been interested in signing him at Bournemouth in the past. Iraola also shared good news about Joe Gomez, who is back in training and available for selection. But Conor Bradley has yet to return.
