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Old 29-09-2018, 02:42 AM   #171
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Old 29-09-2018, 02:43 AM   #172
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Old 29-09-2018, 02:50 AM   #173
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Liverpool sweating on Virgil van Dijk fitness - but Jurgen Klopp insists Reds can cope at Chelsea

Jurgen Klopp is sweating on the fitness of Virgil van Dijk for the trip to Chelsea – but is confident Liverpool can cope if the centre-back misses out.

Van Dijk was sidelined from the midweek Carabao Cup third round defeat at home to the Londoners with a rib injury that forced him off during the second half of last weekend's 3-0 win over Southampton.

With the Dutchman absent, Dejan Lovren made his first appearance of the season at the heart of defence on Wednesday alongside Joel Matip , who was making only his second start since March.

And while Van Dijk will undergo a late fitness test ahead of the Saturday evening showdown at Stamford Bridge, Klopp is happy with his other defensive options.



“With Virgil we have to wait,” said Klopp. “He hasn't trained so far with the team but I can't say any more about that.

“Virgil is a world-class player, there's no doubt about that. And if you miss a world-class player, it's always not cool.

“But Dejan Lovren played his first game after around about 10 weeks out. Most of that time he was that injured that he couldn't even think about training.

"It was a part of the body where you can't do fitness, nothing. After that long period out, he played an outstanding game.

“Joel Matip, a long time injured, but now two games in a row played fantastic."

Klopp added: “If Virgil is fit and can play, then he will play. But if not, then obviously we have options and that's really good.

"For that, yes, his impact is always obvious, but we could play football before Virgil van Dijk and we can play football without Virgil van Dijk, thank God.

“But I prefer he is fit and available and I can make decisions over whether he needs a rest in one of the other games. For the last game he was not available, now we will see what it will be tomorrow.”

Klopp will make a raft of changes for the Premier League clash at Chelsea with Andy Robertson, Alisson Becker, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino among those almost certain to return to the starting line-up.

And Trent Alexander-Arnold and Gini Wijnaldum are expected to be available after also missing the 2-1 loss to the Londoners on Wednesday.

“Trent trained yesterday completely normal,” said Klopp. “It was not a knock, Trent was a bit ill. The rest are pretty good, and Gini has trained as well, so all good.”
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Old 29-09-2018, 03:02 AM   #174
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Full-Back Competition

Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in a personal assists competition, the duo have revealed.

Speaking to the official club website, Robbo revealed the friendly rivalry is spurring on the pair during matches.

“We’re both just hungry to contribute, defensively first and foremost – we want to keep clean sheets. But going forward, we want to chip in with goals and assists,” the Scot said.

“Last season, we had a small competition. It started a bit later in the season. This season, we decided to have a competition and see who comes out on top at the end.

“He’s a fantastic player so I’m sure it’ll be tight; if I keep up with him with his assists then I’m sure we’ll both have a good season.”

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Old 29-09-2018, 03:15 AM   #175
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Virgil van Dijk travels with Liverpool squad for Chelsea clash - but injury doubt remains

Virgil van Dijk has travelled with the Liverpool squad to London - but he remains a doubt for Saturday's Premier League clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Dutch defender has been hampered by bruised ribs since being forced off in last weekend's victory over Southampton.

With Van Dijk still in discomfort, he didn't play a full part in training at Melwood on Friday afternoon as he worked away from the main squad.

"Focussed and looking forward to another big game tomorrow against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge," the £75million centre-back later posted on Instagram.

The fact that Van Dijk has travelled to the capital is a boost but a decision won't be taken on his involvement until Saturday morning.

If he misses out then Jurgen Klopp must choose between Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip to partner Joe Gomez.

Lovren made his first appearance of the season in the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea, while Matip has only made two starts since March.

“With Virgil we have to wait,” said Klopp. “He hasn't trained so far with the team but I can't say any more about that.

“Virgil is a world class player, there's no doubt about that. And if you miss a world class player, it's always not cool. If Virgil is fit and can play, then he will play. But if not, then obviously we have options and that's really good.

"We could play football before Virgil van Dijk and we can play football without Virgil van Dijk, thank God. But I prefer he is fit and available and I can make decisions over whether he needs a rest in one of the other games."
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Old 29-09-2018, 05:41 PM   #176
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Default Alisson reveals Philippe Coutinho's role in his £65m Liverpool move

Alisson Becker has revealed how Philippe Coutinho helped convince him to seal a £65million move to Liverpool.

The Brazil No 1 sought advice from his fellow countryman before June's World Cup in Russia when he became aware of the Reds' efforts to agree a fee with Roma.

Coutinho quit Liverpool for Barcelona back in January in a £142million deal, but the playmaker provided Alisson with a ringing endorsement about life under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

The keeper was left in no doubt that Liverpool was the right place for him – both on and off the field.

“During the World Cup we were very focused on the tournament so we didn’t really speak about it but negotiations were ongoing at the time,” Alisson said.

“I actually spoke to Coutinho before the World Cup as I knew there was interest from Liverpool. We talked about the way the club is set up, the structure and the staff.

“We also talked about the belief and the sort of family atmosphere at the club. It’s not just a football club, we are one big family.

“He spoke highly of Jurgen and he spoke about the players. He said there is no vanity in the squad but it’s a very ambitious squad with a strong desire to win. I saw that on the pitch.

“What Coutinho told me added to what I had already witnessed playing here at Anfield and then when I came and signed here it all came together and made sense.



“What Coutinho said and what I saw with my own eyes, came together and one contributed to the other. Also Coutinho said he was very happy here with his family, which is really important. Our wives spoke to each other and they said they had a great time living here.”

In mid-July Liverpool finally agreed a deal worth £56million up front and a further £9million to potentially follow in add-ons. The 25-year-old cut short a family holiday to complete the formalities and pen a six-year contract.

Alisson hasn't looked back since – conceding just two goals in six straight Premier League wins as the Reds have set the pace at the top of the table ahead of Saturday's crunch clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

“I don’t really like to make comparisons as each club has its own unique management and style. I can only say that I was really happy with the two years I spent at Roma,” he added.

“I left Roma very satisfied with what I had done. It was my first transfer to Europe.

“It’s difficult to leave your country, your culture and come to a new country. My family were really happy in Rome. I spoke to a lot of people about coming to Liverpool – specifically Bobby (Firmino) and Coutinho.

“They were very complimentary about the lifestyle here. They only said really positive things. My expectations have actually been exceeded.

“There is a great structure and they look after everything you need off the pitch. That allows us to concentrate on playing the game, doing what we love.

“My family are really happy here. I’ve signed a long contract and I’m hoping to spend a happy amount of years here. That also depends on the results. For a professional player to be 100% happy and satisfied that depends on victories and winning titles.”

Alisson felt the full power of Anfield when Roma were thrashed 5-2 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final back in April. Now he's thankful to have that kind of vociferous support right behind him.

"It was a very influential and significant experience for me," he said.

"In terms of the game, it was unexpected. We expected to get a victory. What was lacking in my team was we didn’t give the due respect to Liverpool.

"We thought we would pressure Liverpool and go toe-to-toe with them at Anfield. As we know, that didn’t happen.

"The atmosphere I experienced here contributed to my decision to sign. The fans were 100% behind the team, even during periods when Roma were on top. The fans were driving the team on.

"There was also the way the Liverpool team played. It’s not dependent upon one player, it’s a real group effort.

"All the players on the pitch meet the expectations that are made of them. It’s a team that plays with love and passion on the pitch.

"It wasn’t 100% dependent but that experience was definitely influential in my decision to sign for Liverpool."
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Old 30-09-2018, 12:09 AM   #177
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Old 30-09-2018, 12:10 AM   #178
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Old 30-09-2018, 12:37 AM   #179
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Default Team news: Confirmed Liverpool line-up v Chelsea



Virgil van Dijk starts for Liverpool in their Premier League clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The centre-back had been a doubt for the game due to a rib injury but is fit to return to central defence as Jürgen Klopp makes nine changes from the midweek Carabao Cup tie with the Blues.

James Milner and Sadio Mane are the two players to retain their place from Wednesday night.

Liverpool team:

Alisson

Alexander-Arnold Gomez Van Dijk Robertson

Henderson Wijnaldum Milner

Salah Firmino Mane


Substitutes: Mignolet, Fabinho, Keita, Sturridge, Moreno, Shaqiri, Matip.
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Old 30-09-2018, 12:39 AM   #180
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