Jurgen Klopp has raised doubts over Liverpool’s clash with Chelsea this weekend amid more Covid-19 cases at the club.
Klopp confirmed that the Reds have three new Covid cases amongst their first-team squad, with a number of staff members having also recorded positives during the latest round of testing.
The German failed to reveal the identity of the trio while the club wait for results of PCR tests, though they could now all miss this weekend’s crucial clash at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool are currently third in the Premier League, one point behind the second-place Blues ahead of their meeting this weekend.
“We have three new COVID cases in the team and a few more in the staff, so it’s not so cool in the moment,” Klopp told his pre-match press conference.
“I’m not [able to reveal the names] because we still have to make the whole processes, getting a proper PCR and all these kind of things, but you will see the day after tomorrow on the teamsheet. It will be pretty clear then who is affected or infected.”
Klopp said that the club’s current situation will not see Liverpool seek a postponement, but admitted the number of positive tests are improving ahead of the ‘lottery’ of results from today’s testing.
“Not yet, but we don’t know,” Klopp said on requesting a postponement.
“We never had this kind of proper outbreak where 10, 15, 20 players had it, for us it’s more every day another one. Staff happens now more and more often, so as I said before it feels like a lottery in the morning when you stand there and you wait for the result. It was now pretty much day by day always one case – today another one.
“We have to wait, the boys are not even in yet, so we have to wait. In this moment, probably not but we don’t know how it will look in a few hours.”
Klopp also provided a fitness update on his squad and confirmed that Takumi Minamino and Thiago Alcantara are not yet fit to return against Chelsea.
“I would say Taki is probably closer, he is running outside,” said Klopp. “Thiago, not yet. It means for him, it might take a little bit longer. It’s a hip issue which we don’t have an idea where it’s coming from, so we have to be a little bit patient with that.”
