James Milner insists Liverpool need a break

James Milner admits Liverpool's festive schedule is allowing them to take a much-needed breather. “For sure, obviously legs-wise," he said. “Mentally, sometimes when things are going well you just want to keep playing games and getting the results, but obviously it’s a hectic schedule (and) you’re going to have injuries, you’re going to have suspensions. It’s a tough time of year and a lot always seems to change around this time of year in the Premier League, so it’s important we keep the hammer down and keep pushing and keep trying to get those results.” Liverpool will train on Christmas Day morning ahead of the Newcastle clash, with Klopp keen to maintain his team's impressive momentum. “Boxing Day always seems to have a different feel,” he said to Liverpoolfc.com. “There are plenty of distractions, or there could be, for players and for fans and things like that, and it’s always a nice festive feeling around the game. It’s a traditional thing to do at Christmas but as players we have to focus on the job at hand and make sure we’re not distracted by the time of year. It is a time of year for family and you have to make time for that, but when you’re training on Christmas Day and then going to the hotel and preparing for the game, your mind has got to be on that. We’ve got a good group of players who have done that very well this year and a lot of players who are very experienced around Christmas time and know what it’s about. It is a tough time of year.”

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