Klopp warns Liverpool players to prepare for gruelling pre-season

Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool players they best be prepared for one of the most demanding pre-seasons of their footballing career. 

Liverpool have two games left in the season, a final-day Premier League clash against West Brom before the Europa League decider against Sevilla in Basle. 

However, a large majority of the Liverpool squad will go straight into camp with their respective national teams, with Euro 2016 and Copa America tournaments to come in June. 

The extended season means many players will not have more than two weeks holiday before re-joining Klopp at Melwood for the start of pre-season. 

And the German manager warned his players they cannot be expecting a typical end-of-season vacation.

“The problem with pre-season is that the first three weeks we have 15 players who will have been away at the Euros and we also have to see how the squad is changing,” Klopp said.

“On another planet we would have six weeks together because in this league it is the only time that you can train. In all of the [pre-season] games we will play out full training.

“So if we play our best in pre-season then I’ve done something completely wrong. It’s another session, it’s not about beating our opponents. I don’t care about how big the opponent.

“We have to do a lot to create a base for one year. We have a special plan of what we want to do with the boys. They cannot go home now when they are off.

“Nearly all of them have national team games now but you cannot have six weeks off.”