Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp explains decision to drop in-form Luis Diaz against Watford

Klopp opens up on Liverpool's push for a quadruple

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has explained his decision to drop Luis Diaz for Watford’s visit to Anfield on Saturday afternoon. The Colombian was left untouched on the bench after returning from international duty, while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both featured after long trips of their own. 

Diogo Jota and Fabinho were on hand to fire Liverpool to a comfortable 2-0 win over the Hornets. Fans were invariably relieved to see their team collect three points, practically at a walking pace, with much more strenuous tests on the horizon. 

The win sent them top of the table, if only for a few hours, as Manchester City mounted an instant response with a 2-0 win of their own against Burnley. There remains just one point to separate the two sides as the Premier League title race hots up. 

Diaz has been electric since signing for £37million in January, but Klopp opted to see out the job without him as he spent the afternoon consigned to the bench. The German explained: “Luis Diaz is on the bench because he was in Colombia. It is always tricky. We had to wait until the last minute really to make decisions.”

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Diaz started both of Colombia’s matches over the international break, scoring in the 3-0 win over Bolivia before playing the full 90 inutes in a 1-0 win over Venezuela. 

Having dazzled in each of his first six Premier League games on Merseyside, it was a bold decision by Klopp to pursue victory without him. But having earned the three points in his absence a fresh, fit and firing Diaz should be on hand to make a telling impact during their upcoming run of fixtures. 

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A two-legged Champions League quarter final, two dates with Man City, one with bitter rivals Manchester United and another with Merseyside foes Everton make up their next six games. In fact, their next dose of relative normality will come against Newcastle United on April 30, by which time every point is likely to be crucial with the Premier League mere weeks away from wrapping up. 

While Diaz has made a terrific start to life for the Reds, Klopp’s team selection still causes major headaches with five attacking stars all in with a meaningful shout of starting every game. Along with Diaz, Diogo Jota is in superb form and surpassed the 20-goal mark against Watford, while Roberto Firmino drew praise for his own showing through the middle. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane need no introductions and are also vying for minutes up top. 

Like Diaz, both Salah and Mane were on international duty as they faced each other for a coveted spot at this year’s World Cup. To compound the Egyptian’s Africa Cup of Nations misery earlier this year, he missed his penalty in the shootout before Mane scored to cement Senegal’s ticket to Qatar. 

Nevertheless, Salah featured from the start against the Hornets while Mane emerged from the bench, leaving Diaz to ponder an afternoon off. 

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