Carlos Carvalhal insists he will have no issue with Liverpool if they rest Mo Salah against Stoke City on Saturday.
The Swansea City manager could see his team’s narrow advantage over their relegation-threatened rivals Stoke and Southampton whittled down to just a single point by Saturday night.
That would be the scenario by the time the Swans host Chelsea if Stoke were to win at Anfield or if Saints win at home against Bournemouth.
A Liverpool defeat would seem the less likely outcome, but it could be made far more realistic if their manager Jurgen Klopp opts to rests key players – including prolific striker Salah – ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Roma on Wednesday.
Salah has scored an incredible 43 goals in 47 matches this season, but Carvalhal says he will have no issue if the Egyptian is not used against Stoke.
“Liverpool is much more than one player,” said Carvalhal, who looks certain to go in against Chelsea without injured centre-back pair Federico Fernandez and Kyle Bartley.
“They can win without this player, of course he is a fantastic player. He is the player of the season but Liverpool do not depend on one player. “They depend on a very good dynamic and a good shape. They have a good vibe and are very positive in this moment.
“That is not my job (to worry about other teams). I know what I felt in the last game against Manchester City – that they would still play for points and play well even though they are champions.
“Liverpool are the same. I don’t believe any team will rest players just to recover.
“If they put new players in it will be to give energy and balance to the team. It will still be competitive if they put three or four players out – they will stay with five or six and they can substitute.
“It is like we did in the FA Cup and we won games, so for sure they will be competitive.
“They have ambitions in the competition because they want to be in the second place and they are fighting for that.”
The timing of the fixture, though, could still potentially be in Stoke’s favour, with the game coming in between the two legs of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final against Roma, which they lead 5-2.
Klopp rested key players like Salah and Roberto Firmino for the Merseyside derby in the middle of their quarter-final clash against Manchester City and Liverpool were below par in a goalless draw.
Stoke manager Paul Lambert, who can take confidence from his record of three wins and two draws from five trips to Anfield as a manager, said: “They can’t rest them all. Whether they rest one or two, I don’t know.
“I know for my own team we have to go there and try to win the game. We have to be aggressive, we have to play a really high-tempo game to stay in the game against them.
“But they’re still a really top side whoever they play. They might have one eye on Rome, I think Jurgen will know that tie isn’t finished.”