Jurgen Klopp: Manchester United fixture congestion "is not unfair"

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged that Manchester United have had a "hard" season but insists that they cannot complain about fixture congestion as it is normal for a side competing in Europe.

Jose Mourinho has bemoaned the number of games that his United side have had to compete in since the turn of the year, playing 27 times in all so far in 2017.

Klopp knows all about a fixture pile-up, having also reached the finals of the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season at Anfield, claiming that what United are currently experiencing "is not unfair".

"I can imagine what he means but they have played a similar season to what we had last year, although unfortunately we were not in a position to play for Champions League," he told reporters.

"It's not unfair. It is the situation. Nobody asked us last year how we felt about it. Obviously they also have a different squad, a wider squad, and with all of their injury problems they had so far they are still able to put out teams and you think [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan isn't playing?

"[Wayne] Rooney isn't playing? And him, and him? It is different, but of course it is hard. They have seven or eight games left – five in the Premier League, a semi-final and maybe a final - and yes that is hard, absolutely, but we had a similar situation last season."

United take on Celta Vigo in the last four of the Europa League and have five more teams to face in the Premier League.