Jurgen Klopp will have a tough decision to make if Liverpool reach the Champions League semi-finals says former Red Jamie Carragher.
Currently two points clear at the top of the Premier League table having played a game more than title-rivals Manchester City, Liverpool face FC Porto in the quarter-finals with the first leg taking place at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Should the Reds see their way past the Portuguese side, they will face FC Barcelona or Manchester United in the final four with a place in the final in Madrid on June 1 up for grabs.
Meanwhile, Man City take on Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals with Juventus or Ajax their opposition in the semi-finals.
We're counting down to Liverpool's big Champions League clash with FC Porto HERE
A maiden Champions League win is the priority for Pep Guardiola's side this season as they challenge for an unprecedented quadruple, but Liverpool's focus remains winning a first league title since 1990.
And as a result, Carragher thinks Klopp should serious considering resting players in Europe if Liverpool progress regardless of the possible prize to boost their chances of winning the Premier League.
“I think the big decision both managers have, or certainly Jurgen Klopp will have, is the Champions League semi-final,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“Pep will still go strong on that.
“It will be a big thing – what will Jurgen Klopp do in a big semi-final with a league game coming?
“He knows how much Liverpool and Liverpool supporters want to win the league.
“If Liverpool are in pole position for the league, I’d have no problem with him resting players against Manchester United.
“The league is bigger than anything for Liverpool.”
Meanwhile, while Porto represented a favourable quarter-final draw for the Reds, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes it is in fact a nightmare scenario for Klopp's side.
The former England international insists being drawn against Manchester City or Barcelona would have been favourable for Liverpool, with a potential exit allowing them to focus on their league exploits.
“Porto aren’t a bad side, we know that,” Scholes told Premier League Productions. “They’re in the quarter final but you’d expect Liverpool to come through that.
“It just feels a little bit like the Champions League is getting in the way of the league run for Liverpool.
“They might have been better off playing off a Barcelona or a City, a real top team, and getting knocked out.
“That would possibly clear the way just to concentrate on that league.”
