Roy Hodgson Issues Europa League Warning

Liverpool could sacrifice their Europa League campaign in the hope of achieving better domestic results this season, Roy Hodgson has said.

According to the manager, sports scientists have told him playing the side's World Cup stars in the European tournament's qualifying rounds would limit their availability later in the season as the sheer number of games take their toll.

However, he also admitted that if he doesn't play his stars, then the reserves may not have the experience needed to get them through to the later stages. Anyone making a Europa League betting prediction should bear this in mind.

He said: "It is a balance that I cannot sort out on my own. It will be a decision for the club to take on. Where in the list of priorities does the Europa League come?"

Balancing league and European priorities is something Hodgson knows all about - last season he took Fulham to the final of the Europa League but in order to progress that far he had to sacrifice the side's domestic form.

Similarly, he also knows about the problems of working with a small squad and, given the lack of resources available to him at Liverpool, it seems highly unlikely he will be able to concentrate on more than one of the four competitions his side are entered in this season. The latest football betting odds reflect this.

Still, as Hodgson has hinted the final decision is not down to him and clearly he will have to wait until he is told what is expected of him for the season ahead before making any decisions about which tournaments he prioritises.

If the manager is told he has to achieve a respectable performance in Europe then he may have no choice but to throw in his leading stars.

If that happens, then he could find himself in the unenviable position of having to stretch a squad well beyond its limits and that can only end in disaster.