Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp is reportedly toying with the idea of not bringing Xherdan Shaqiri to Serbia this week.
According to The Telegraph, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is ‘seriously considering’ axing Xherdan Shaqiri from his squad ahead of this week’s trip to Serbia, in order to avoid a ‘political debate’.
Liverpool visit Belgrade for a Champions League clash with Red Star on Tuesday and the German manager is tempted to leave Shaqiri behind.
Klopp, according to the report, does not want the Switzerland international to become the subject of a political issue by allowing Red Star fans to target him.
Born in Kosovo, the 27-year-old acknowledged the country of his birth during the World Cup by putting a flag on one of his boots in a gesture that didn’t go down well with Serbian fans.
The Serbian government does not recognise Kosovo’s independence and Klopp is “leaning toward” omitting Shaqiri entirely, The Telegraph claims.
He received a hostile reception from a selection of Red Star fans in the reverse fixture at Anfield last month, and the fear is that there will be more of the same on a much larger scale at the Rajko Mitic Stadium.
Shaqiri, who earns £90,000 per week on Merseyside [Total Sportek], has scored one and set up two goals in two Premier League starts since joining for £13 million in the summer.
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