Jason McAteer has speculated that Jurgen Klopp may have come to an arrangement with Gareth Southgate over Trent Alexander-Arnold's omission from the England squad.
Alexander-Arnold was left out of the England squad for this month's international break, much to the surprise of Liverpool fans after the right-back's performances had improved over recent weeks.
McAteer cannot believe that the Reds star has been left out in favour of Kieran Trippier, who missed a large amount of football for Atletico Madrid due to serving a ban for breaches of FA betting rules.
With Klopp having previously stressed the need for players to be given rest in a condensed season, McAteer told Free Super Tips that he thought the Reds boss may have come to an arrangement with Southgate.
He said: "I think there's too much talent and sometimes you're under pressure to get them all in the team to keep them happy, or you think that they're going to produce something magic because they're so good individually.
"I don't think a winning team is actually made up of that. Liverpool showed that it's not a world-class talented team. It's about a team that works so well in tandem with each other, they all compliment each other and you have to have that for a winning team.
"Southgate will probably end up trying to shoehorn them all into the team when they're all in such good form, probably to the detriment of the team and results.
"England with what they have, they should be challenging, but they always seem to get it wrong."
He continued: "I also feel it’s necessary to add, as far as England itself goes, I think it's ridiculous not taking Trent for these games.
"I can't get my head round it.
"Trippier is in the team and he has hardly played for Atletico since Christmas, and yet he makes the squad. I don't know, whether things went on behind the scenes, I don't know, whether Klopp and Southgate have had a conversation, 'if you're not going to play him, don't take him' maybe, I don't know.
"But I just don't understand the decision by Gareth Southgate, because if it's not a club and country kind of conversation they've had, then I cannot understand Gareth's thinking for not taking him. I just can't get my head round it."
