Jurgen Klopp defends Alexander-Arnold treatment and hails No.1 manager choice
Liverpool will look to earn back-to-back victories and tighten their grip on top spot in the Premier League when they travel to Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp's side returned to winning ways against Burnley last weekend and remain two points clear at the summit after Manchester City and Arsenal both won. But the Reds will now want to earn another vital win as they enter their final 14 matches of the league campaign.
Klopp will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold for the trip to west London, however, after he suffered a knee issue. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, Alisson, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are all back in contention after missing last Saturday's win over Burnley.
Here is the latest news from Anfield.
Klopp defends medical team
Klopp has defended Liverpool's medical team over its treatment of Alexander-Arnold.
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After three weeks out, Alexander-Arnold returned to action for the FA Cup game against Norwich but he wasn't back in the starting XI until the trip to Arsenal on February 3. However, the England international was then forced off at half-time in their 3-1 victory over Burnley last weekend.
It's now been confirmed that Alexander-Arnold will miss at least the next three matches, including the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea. But Klopp insists Liverpool didn't rush him back.
He said: "I was not really aware of it but I got the news that there was a discussion we might have forced Trent back and had two setbacks and it is really unfortunate, no one wants that.
"But different cases, different scenarios anyway and as long as I am here we never forced anyone back and never will do. But we work in a high performance area that's like if you have the same injury you are fit after three days and another guy after four weeks."
(AFP via Getty Images)Elliott praises Nunez
Harvey Elliott has heaped praise on Darwin Nunez and has made it clear that the Liverpool dressing room have the full backing of the Reds' No.9.
"You don’t need to look up," Elliott explained. "You know the areas he’s [Nunez] going to be in & more often than not, he gets on the end of it. It’s a credit to him. He’s an amazing player & helps us in moments. He has scored some very important goals for us since he joined.
"He doesn’t complain, some games he doesn’t score, but he puts in 110% effort. That’s all we ask. He’s from a different country & didn’t know English. He took the responsibility of learning English & I can have a conversation with him!"
Darwin Nunez and Harvey ElliottKlopp hails Alonso
Liverpool boss Klopp has hailed Xabi Alonso as the 'stand out' coach of the next generation as the Bayer Leverkusen boss continues to be linked with the top job at Anfield.
"Xabi is doing an incredible job," Klopp said. "If there would not be the rumours around, this is completely independent of that, and if you would have asked me eight weeks ago about Xabi Alonso, I would have gone, ‘Oh my God’. The dinosaurs if you want, Ancelotti, Mourinho, Guardiola, maybe me, we will not do it, okay maybe Mourinho, but all the rest will not do it for the next 20 years.
"The next generation is already there and I would say, at the moment, Xabi is stand-out in that department. Former world-class player, obviously coaching family as well which helps a little bit, he was like a coach already when he was playing. The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, the transfers he did, it was absolutely exceptional."
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