Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool boss misses Premier League game at Chelsea due to suspected positive Covid-19 test
Jurgen Klopp returned suspected positive Covid test and is isolating; manager will miss Sunday's trip to Chelsea with assistant Pep Lijnders taking charge; Klopp insists he is unconcerned by Sadio Mane's goalless run; watch Chelsea vs Liverpool, live on Sky Sports from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm
Sunday 2 January 2022 07:02, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has reported a suspected positive Covid-19 test and will miss Sunday's Premier League game against Chelsea.
Klopp, who is isolating, was experiencing mild symptoms. His assistant Pepijn Lijnders will take charge for the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool on Friday confirmed that three players and several staff members had tested positive, with Klopp declining to name them as they were awaiting PCR test confirmations.
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Liverpool have not asked for the Chelsea game to be postponed and do not anticipate doing so at this stage.
The club said in a statement: "Jurgen Klopp will miss Liverpool's Premier League meeting with Chelsea on Sunday after returning a suspected positive Covid-19 test result.
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"The Reds manager, who reported mild symptoms ahead of the fixture, is now isolating.
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"Assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders will therefore lead the team for the 4.30pm GMT kick-off at Stamford Bridge.
"Testing of the entire first-team set-up has revealed no further positive cases within the playing squad in addition to the three confirmed by Klopp on Friday.
"Three backroom staff members have returned suspected positive results, however."
Klopp unconcerned by Mane's goal drought
Liverpool go into Sunday's game at Chelsea - live on Sky Sports - with forward Sadio Mane on the worst goalless run of his Anfield career.
Mane, who is set to join Senegal's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations following the trip to Stamford Bridge, has not found the net in nine matches, totalling 13-and-a-half hours without a goal.
But Klopp is not concerned by the form of the 29-year-old, who scored nine goals in 16 matches before embarking on his barren spell.
"Sadio has no problem with confidence but of course the momentum finishing-wise is not there at the moment. Otherwise he plays really well," said Klopp.
"One of my analysts made a video to show Sadio how much he contributes to our game and how good he is in these moments.
"Obviously the intention was to show he should not be too worried that the finishing is not there because he is an incredibly important player for us, that's the view we have on it.
"Most strikers - pretty much all strikers - have to go through these kinds of things. It happened to Sadio before and he came out of it.
"He has scored some important goals and I am pretty positive he has a good chance to score one on Sunday.
"After that he goes away for a few weeks and when he comes back we can talk about things.
"For this game it is all fine. He is too important for us to even think about these kinds of things. You have to take these kind of things from time to time and after it will be good again. We are human beings, that's how it is."
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