Trevor Sinclair believes Liverpool should prioritise the Carabao Cup over the Club World Cup next month, as winning the domestic trophy would give them a huge boost in their pursuit of the Premier League title.
Jurgen Klopp has been hit with a big dilemma ahead of the Reds’ manic two-month fixture pile-up.
Liverpool are set to play two games in 24 hours in two different continents, with their Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Aston Villa confirmed for December 17, while their Club World Cup semi-final is scheduled to take place the following day.
The club have confirmed they will ‘utilise two playing squads simultaneously’, which will see one group of players make the 7,000-mile round trip to Qatar while another stays at home to battle for a place in the Carabao Cup semis.
It has been widely claimed the Reds plan to send a stronger team to the Middle East to try and add a first Club World Cup title to their trophy cabinet.
But the Reds have history in the formerly-named League Cup – they are the most successful team in the competition’s 59-year history with eight wins, and have made the final a record 12 times.
And Sinclair believes the morale boost of lifting a domestic trophy, plus keeping their best players at home rather than endure the long trip to Qatar, would be hugely beneficial to Liverpool’s Premier League title pursuit – just as it was to Manchester City last season.
Speaking to talkSPORT hosts Jim White and Natalie Sawyer, the former City star said: “Looking at the Club World Cup and looking at the Carabao Cup, I feel Liverpool should stay at home and try and win that domestic cup.
“It’s got heritage, it’s got history, it’s actually worth something.
“Maybe not in monetary terms – £4.5million to £100,000, there’s no relation there, it’s a lot better financially to win the Club World Cup.
“But I feel Liverpool fans will want to win the Carabao Cup and get the psychological difference and little bit of one-upmanship against Man City leading into the end of the season.
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“For Man City, the spirit and camaraderie they got from winning that trophy last season helped them massively [in the title race against Liverpool].
“I’m sure Liverpool will make the right decision based on what they feel is more important.
“But from a fan’s perspective, if it was Man City in this scenario I would like to think they’d keep the majority of their players at home to try and win the Carabao Cup.”
