LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool's Europa League exit could be positive for the club as it frees them up from potential fixture congestion, manager Brendan Rodgers says.
Rodgers' side went out of the competition at the round of 32 stage on penalties to Turkish side Besiktas on Thursday.
The Reds did not arrive home until 4.30 a.m. on Friday, leaving them little time to prepare for Sunday's Premier League home match against title contenders Manchester City.
Liverpool's fixture list has been packed since the last international break in November, with the club playing an average of one match every three or four days.
In fact, Sunday's game against City will be the Reds' 27th fixture in 99 days, a run that started with a 3-1 league defeat at Crystal Palace on Nov. 23.
That congestion is set to continue for another week, as Liverpool face a Premier League home match against Burnley on Wednesday before hosting Championship side Blackburn in an FA Cup quarterfinal the following Sunday.
But after that, Rodgers and his players will have a full eight-day break before travelling to Swansea for a league match -- their longest gap between fixtures for almost five months.
Even though winning the Europa League would have qualified Liverpool for next season's Champions League, their manager insists that progress in the Premier League and FA Cup have always been his priorities.
The Reds went into the weekend's fixtures sitting two points outside a top-four spot -- which would also bring a Champions League spot.
Asked if Europa League elimination might be a blessing in disguise, Rodgers said: "Yeah. At the time, you don't like to say that, because we want to win. And Europe this season has been an experience for us, both in the Champions League and the Europa League.
"But we're at a different stage to a lot of other teams. A lot of our young players have gained invaluable experience in Europe this year, and they're going to be better for it.
"Going forward, we want to be in those competitions, and in the Champions League, consistently for the next few years. So this year, we've gained great experience from it.
"But there's no doubt that with that away, and after next week's game against Burnley, we'll go to nearly one game a week. Probably for the first time this season, that will give us the chance to prepare and be ready in every aspect.
"It's been a really good learning experience for us, and we want to finish off the season with those objectives, because of the three competitions we were in, those two were certainly the top two."