January 01, (THEWILL) – Following a positive COVID-19 test, Jurgen Klopp will be placed in isolation for a duration of time. The Liverpool manager is said to be experiencing moderate symptoms following a test at the club’s AXA Training Centre in Kirkby on Friday.
As a result, Pep Lijnders, the Reds’ assistant manager, will take charge of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea, as the Reds look to bounce back after losing to Leicester City and drawing with Tottenham Hotspur in their last two Premier League games.
With as many as three first-team stars set to miss the encounter at Stamford Bridge, Klopp becomes the latest member of the Liverpool camp to test positive.
“We have three new COVID cases in the team and a few more in the staff,” the Reds manager said on Friday, without identifying the trio who will miss the encounter in west London.
“So it’s not so cool at the moment. I’m not able to say who has been affected as we have to have the whole processes with proper PCR tests.
“But you will see the day after tomorrow on the team sheet. It’s really clear who is affected or infected,” Klopp added.
The three players will almost certainly be announced once the team announcement is confirmed at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. Despite the outbreak, Liverpool has not requested a postponement of the match and expects it to take place on Saturday afternoon.
Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, and Curtis Jones have all recently been out due to positive tests, while Thiago Alcantara was diagnosed with the virus just before Christmas.
Thiago will also miss Sunday’s match due to a hip ailment, while Takumi Minamino is injured and unavailable for the Reds.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
