'Incredibly' - Jurgen Klopp makes Newcastle United claim ahead of Liverpool clash

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has sympathized with Newcastle United over their lengthy injury list.

Eddie Howe's men travel to Anfield on New Year's Day having lost six of their last seven games - including back-to-back Premier League defeats to Luton Town and Nottingham Forest - but Klopp was keen to point out the mitigating circumstances.

United have been hit by injuries since September, which recently forced Howe to name the same starting XI for five consecutive matches against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

While Howe has welcomed back the likes of Callum Wilson and Sean Longstaff in recent weeks, there have been short-term blows for Alexander Isak, Fabian Schar and Joelinton in that time. The trio are available for the visit to Merseyside, however, at least nine others are ruled out.

United have suffered a loss of form and as a result sit 13 points behind the Reds after 19 matches played, Klopp, though, refused to admit his side were favourites heading into the match and praised Howe's players for their physical efforts.

"I am too long in the business to know anything can happen," the German boss said. "Newcastle did incredibly well. It is unlucky they have that amount of injuries but then on top of that, you play international football which they didn't play 50 times in a row.

"The whole system has to get used to that. The system for the players is completely different than a normal training week. You pretty much only have recovery then you have to go again for a big Premier League or Champions League game.

"That was, for sure, a problem, but they've still done really well. Games they have lost they've had some really good spells. In the games I have saw, they've had really good spells and a really good idea but Eddie had to play too often the same line-up. That's clear, all the games and the boys did incredibly well. I think he said that as well.

"Give credit to the players for the effort they have put in. It was pretty much the same line-up for a long, long time then the guys who play all the time get tired and the guys that have come back have to rhythm. We've had that situation plenty of times.

"But now they have five or six days like we've had between the games and it will help both teams. We played five games in 13 days - it's absolutely insane as well but we somehow came through that."