In agreement: Kenny Dalglish also slammed the schedule

Dalglish added: ‘It is a bit irresponsible for the people who have organised the dates of the matches. It’s not just us, it is Manchester City.

‘To ask any team, or any players, to play two games of high intensity in 48 hours is a bit of a joke.’

Sympathy for Mancini and Dalglish might be in short supply in some quarters. City, for instance, had more than £100million-worth of talent on the bench at Anfield and Mancini is set to bring back internationals Pablo Zabaleta, Adam Johnson, Kolo Toure, Edin Dzeko and Nigel de Jong.

Professional Footballers’ Association chief Gordon Taylor, though, can see why Dalglish and Mancini are so upset.

‘I can see Kenny’s viewpoint and I agree with him,’ said Taylor. ‘The fixture calendar is so compact now it is like trying to get a quart into a pint pot.

‘We have the Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup and then European and international matches. But probably the one good thing about it is it gives the players who are not featuring regularly a chance to show what they can do.’

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has challenged his fringe players to show their strength of character against City at the Emirates Stadium.

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