Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has admitted that he rested key players against Liverpool this afternoon but insisted that he cannot use team selection as an excuse for a 5-0 defeat at Anfield.

Liverpool enjoyed a comfortable home victory over the Swans, who made seven changes ahead of next week's League Cup final at Wembley.

Laudrup conceded that captain Ashley Williams and top scorer Michu were left out to guard against injuries as the Welsh side prepare for their first major final.

He told BBC Sport: "Michu and Ashley Williams were left out ahead of the final but that's only a part of it, there were a lot of good players out there.

"I learned a lot today, a lot for the future. I saw some things today that is important for me for the future, but really for me it was a very bad day.

"In the last two and a half months we have made a lot of changes and we have been competitive. You can't play like that. We just have to go, it wasn't what we wanted in the build-up to the final but we have to get back on the horse."

The Swans slipped below Liverpool to eighth place in the Premier League following today's defeat to former boss Brendan Rodgers.