Klopp: Liverpool must manage 'emotional and mental effects' of Champions League comeback
Liverpool can secure their first Premier League title on Sunday, but Jurgen Klopp is wary of the impact of their amazing Barcelona victory.
Jurgen Klopp accepts Liverpool will have to battle the emotional and mental effects of their Champions League comeback when they fight for the Premier League title.
Liverpool's hopes
Liverpool need to beat Wolves at Anfield on Sunday and hope leaders Manchester City fail to collect maximum points from their trip to Brighton and Hove Albion.
But the Reds will be full of belief after routing Barcelona 4-0 this week to reach the final of the Champions League, overturning a three-goal first-leg deficit to book an all-English clash with Tottenham.
Liverpool have not won the title in the Premier League era and Klopp has rallied his troops for one final challenge, in what has been a thrilling race with City to top the table.
"It is not possible to ignore the impact of Tuesday night, but I think it is on us – again all of us, not just the players – to make sure we take it and use it as an advantage," Klopp wrote in his programme notes for the Wolves game.
"It was a physically and emotionally intense occasion. Of course, this affects human beings. The physical effects are that we have a few more players with bumps and bruises.
"At the time of writing these notes I'm not entirely sure who will be available to pick for certain today [Sunday]. But the emotional and mental effects must also be managed.
"This is why I think the togetherness between supporters and players is going to be at its most important. The fans are our energy source and it is a cast-iron certainty that there'll be moments today when we need them. It is so important we only worry about our team and what is happening at Anfield.
"On Tuesday night we didn't care what anyone outside of the LFC family thought about our situation – we were all about creating our own moments. Same today please. Let's make today about us, as Liverpool, finding the joy that comes from the moment."
The 12th man
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson also acknowledged the importance of the Reds' support going into the final league game of the season.
"As players we have the most unbelievable support network around us and without it we couldn't do what we do," he wrote in the matchday programme.
"It starts at home with our families and our closest friends. We all know how privileged we are to do what we do and we know the rewards are totally out of proportion with what other people in society get for doing jobs that are far more important than ours.
"But even factoring that in, purely on a human level, the impact of a season on family and friends is big.
"They live it with us – the highs and the lows. They feel our pain as well as celebrate our success.
"There's a reason that, at the end of the game when we go around the Anfield pitch to say thank you to the supporters, that we bring our families with us. They're part of our team as well."