Jurgen Klopp has admitted it was "insane" that Trent Alexander-Arnold played for Liverpool during their 1-0 defeat by Serie A outfit Atalanta.
The Reds were dumped out of the Europa League on Thursday night, despite winning 1-0 in the second-leg. The damage was done back at Anfield, when Atalanta ran out shock 3-0 winners and left Liverpool with a moutain to climb in the return fixture. Mohamed Salah's seventh minute penalty was all they could muster in response away from home.
The result means Liverpool are now fighting on just one front. Dumped out of both the FA Cup and the Europa League within four weeks of each other, Klopp's men can now focus firmly on trying to claw back control in the race for the Premier League title.
Despite being eliminated from Europe, Klopp was impressed with the way his players contested the second-leg. He said as much during his post-match media duties, as well as address Alexander-Arnold's 72nd minute withdrawal on what was his first start since early February.
"It was clear we gave ourselves a massive hurdle," the Liverpool boss conceded. "I liked the game a lot tonight with the desire and power the boys show. It was incredible from them.
"It was really tricky and we were too hasty in moments. If Trent Alexander-Arnold had been a bit fitter we could have gone a bit longer, but it is insane that he has even played! In the end he was running out of gas.
"We won the game and that was the reaction we wanted to show. It was difficult and we knew it would be but they deserve to go through 100%."
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Klopp continued, by adding that his side's focus will now shift to their domestic duties. Liverpool are currently third, level on points with second-placed Arsenal and two adrift of table-toppers Manchester City.
"We have to focus on the league and that is exactly what we will do from now. Tonight we won the game so we are back to winning ways. We have a few days to recover to go again against Fulham. That will be a different game but it will be tricky."
Klopp will be well aware that Liverpool need to bounce back from defeat in their last league outing, which came in the form of a 1-0 home loss against Crystal Palace. Any more slip-ups with just six league games left to play could end faint hopes of a second Premier League under Klopp before he departs at the end of the campaign.
Addressing the fact that the trip to Atalanta was his final European game as Reds boss, Klopp claimed: "It is mixed emotions. We are out but I am happy with the game. We would have wished that we could have gone to Dublin but that hasn't happened."
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