Jurgen Klopp made the surprise decision to drop Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane for Saturday's draw against Chelsea, with Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting instead.

It was a call that both confused and worried Liverpool fans, given the scale of the game and the fact three points were at stake.

Klopp explained after the game that it was because of Liverpool's hectic schedule, but fans will argue he should have started his best XI against a side like Chelsea.

"You need to have options," said the German. "If you don't have options then you are moaning about it, but the line up is easy at the moment and if it stays like this then we will have options.

"We need it, we need it, we need it. All the other teams, the intensity is getting higher. We play again on Wednesday against Stoke, and Saturday and Wednesday and so on.

"We can not do it without using all the players. That is what we should try to do."

Mane was restricted to only a couple of minutes when Klopp sent him on for Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 89th minute, which appeared to result in a bust-up at full-time.

Klopp has since confirmed their clash was for tactical reasons, because Mane was told to stay out wide but ended up playing centrally.

A frustrated Mane said to Klopp from the pitch that he only came inside because Salah drifted out to his flank, but Liverpool's manager was having none of it.

The Senegalese winger has now given his version of events and revealed exactly what Klopp shouted on the sidelines to cause their dispute.

"He (Klopp) asked me to play on the right side and one time I tried to ask for the ball in the number nine position," said Mane.

"Mo was on my side and the coach was shouting: 'Sadio come onto the right side!'.

"After the game I told the coach it was easier if you told Mo to come in because he was close to you. 

"But it was friendly, it was not because I was unhappy or something else. There was no problem, I was just communicating and explaining that to him after the game."

Both sides of the story make sense and clearly Mane thought it was necessary to cover for Salah in the middle while he was out wide.

But with minutes remaining and precious points on the line, Klopp wanted Mane to stick to the game plan because he had fresher legs to bomb down the wing.