Klopp says non-stop fixtures harm England’s Euro 2016 hopes

LONDON (Reuters) – Juergen Klopp gets his first taste of Britain’s Christmas football fix when Liverpool host Premier League leaders Leicester City on Saturday, but the German coach remains convinced it harms English players.

Liverpool face three games in eight days, starting with the visit of Claudio Ranieri’s trailblazers, needing to make up ground after picking only one point from the last nine on offer.

While his priority is on Liverpool, he worries that England’s chances at next year’s Euro 2016 tournament will be diminished because of tired players.

“You have too many games, that’s for sure,” Klopp, who is used to a winter break in Germany, told the BBC. “You have no break, too many tournaments.

“I think everybody knows that’s not the way (to be successful).

“Everybody thinks (manager) Roy (Hodgson) should lead these boys to the title, they have really good players.

“But they’ve had no break for one year. All the other teams have. You can be (successful) but it’s much harder.”

Klopp has worries of his own with his side struggling for form and still smarting from last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Watford — a result that left them ninth.

He will be without defender Martin Skrtel (hamstring) and James Milner (calf) for the clash with Leicester, although goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and defender Dejan Lovren are back.

With striker Daniel Sturridge still not available, Klopp said he will be ready to react in the transfer window, should he feel the need to strengthen the squad for a top-four push.

“I’m not the biggest friend of the January transfer window but, like I always said, if we have to react we will react,” he said. “We are not planning only to get more players and more players and more players.

“That’s not how I think we should work. But if we have to react, we will react.”

Following their match against Leicester, Liverpool are away at Sunderland and West Ham United.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Justin Palmer)