Jürgen Klopp has said he expects Liverpool to be punished for fielding an ineligible player in the Carabao Cup “if it was our fault alone” but Pedro Chirivella should be exempt from any censure.
The EFL is due this week to consider the case against Liverpool with a fine the most likely outcome for Chirivella playing against MK Dons last Wednesday without international clearance. Expulsion from the competition or a replay of the third-round tie are other possibilities.
Liverpool applied to the Football Association for clearance for the Spanish midfielder in July, after the 22-year-old’s return from an unsuccessful loan spell at Extramadura, but it was not received before his substitute appearance against MK Dons.
Klopp said on Tuesday: “I cannot say too much. Other people are working on it. If it was our fault alone, we need to get punished. It didn’t happen on purpose but my only real concern is the player. He could not play for half a year in Spain last year and if he were not able to play now that would be the biggest problem. I am not sure we made a mistake but the player should not be punished.”
