Mohamed Salah told he'll have to get used to being rested by Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp has explained that Mohamed Salah will have to get used to being rested for his own good, even if he hates not being on the pitch.

Liverpool’s top scorer was only a substitute for Wednesday’s 3-3 draw against Benfica in the Champions League, though he is poised to return to the side for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

Salah has not scored in open play since February and Liverpool have more attacking options after the January signing of Luis Diaz but Klopp said it was his heavy workload, particularly in the African Cup of Nations with Egypt, rather than his goal drought that meant he was on the bench.

“Even if Mo had scored four goals [against City on Sunday] he wouldn’t have started the last game,” he said. “It was just a necessity. Mo played in January and February six times 120 minutes. Even he is a human being. There will be games he cannot start and games where we take him off. He hates that.”

Klopp said he does not consult his big names before leaving them out, adding: “Footballers are completely in a tunnel, they want to play, play, play. That is why I don’t ask players: ‘Are you tired?’ I have to make decisions without talking a lot and after that it is my responsibility if it is right or wrong.”

Klopp defended his decision to leave out Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane as well as Salah for the second leg against Benfica, as Liverpool booked a place in the Champions League semi-finals against Villarreal.

“In general the intensity of the game showed me it was 100 per cent right to change seven players,” he said. He hopes Liverpool will be fresher at Wembley, whereas City did not have the luxury of resting players for