If you haven't heard, Liverpool are playing lots of football matches.
Jurgen Klopp is complaining on almost a weekly basis about their packed schedule, with his side playing every few days across three major competitions. The Reds are hoping to record an unprecedented quadruple, having already lifted the League Cup in March, and have challenges in their way which they've rarely faced in past seasons.
It's no surprise, then, that plenty of pundits have offered Klopp advice on how to manage his squad, especially ahead of last Sunday's clash with Manchester City. Billed as a Premier League title decider, the match eventually finished 2-2 but Jamie Carragher had already offered his verdict on that fact Mohamed Salah hadn't been rested for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica four days prior.
With Salah's form dipping ahead of first leg, Carragher reckoned that Klopp should've pulled him out of the firing line - something the Liverpool boss eventually did in the 61st minute after a quiet display from his talisman. "I think it's a physical thing and a mental thing and he's got to come out of it really quickly," the Anfield icon explained on Sky Sports ahead of Sunday's draw when asked about the 29-year-old's recent struggles.
"But I was very surprised he played midweek against Benfica, I really was. I know the Champions League is huge, but I think it was a mistake by Jurgen Klopp to play him, I'd love him to be really fresh here [against City]. He played the first 60, 70 minutes [against Benfica] and again it wasn't great.
"So, you're coming into this game thinking, 'Mo Salah isn't at his best, another game where he hasn't played particularly well and not scored'. I'd have liked him to be a bit more fresher today. Sooner or later he'll turn up because he is what he is, one of the greatest players in the world."
While Salah, who Mirror Football understands is close to agreeing a new contract on Merseyside, registered an assist for Sadio Mane's crucial equaliser, the Egyptian was fairly quiet at the Etihad Stadium. Another flat all-round performance has now given Klopp more reasoning to rest him for Wednesday's second leg back at Anfield, with the Reds boasting a 3-1 lead on aggregate.
Although it would be a risk to bench your top goalscorer when a place in the last four of the Champions League is on the line, the fact Liverpool face City again on Saturday, this time in an FA Cups semi-final, is a predicament Klopp can't ignore, having made his thoughts crystal clear on multiple occasions about how hard his players are worked.
So, round two with Benfica offers him an ideal opportunity to rest Salah as the run-in hots up, especially with fellow forwards Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Mane all in goalscoring form. As well as Carragher, Liverpool legend John Aldridge is in agreement that a break would benefit the Reds star.
Writing in his Liverpool Echo column, Aldridge admitted: "People have questioned whether Mo has lost his form, and there is no doubt that he has. Everyone knows about it, he knows it himself and the manager knows it. Klopp is trying to play him through it and is staying loyal to Salah. It's the way he goes about things and you've got to back the manager.
"Some coaches would drop Salah and leave him out to try and provoke a reaction. That can be the best thing to do with certain players, or it can affect players even more. Maybe Jurgen thought dropping Mo for such a big game like City could have a big impact on him in the coming weeks. We’ve just got to wait for him to regain his form.
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"If we're to go on and win the remaining competitions we are in, we need him at his best as he is often the difference. It is clear something is up, and only Jurgen and Salah can sort that out. I think Klopp may rest him for the Benfica game and keep him fit for Wembley.
"He may well rest Mane as well for Saturday, along with [Jordan] Henderson and maybe one of the full-backs. You put out a team that is worthy of winning the tie, with four players rested, and can feel confident."
Although Klopp has insisted Saturday's trip to Wembley isn't in his thinking just yet, Salah's situation will undoubtedly be weighing on his mind given the mammoth task ahead of his team. If there's a time to rest him, it's now.
