Diogo Jota – The Empire of The Kop

‘Tantalising…’ – Liverpool journalist intrigued by Reds team news for Atalanta clash

Liam Togher — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 18:44:20 +0000

Jurgen Klopp has made it clear from his Liverpool team selection for tonight’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Atalanta that he doesn’t think this tie is irretrievable.

The Reds have a mountain to climb after losing 3-0 to Gian Piero Gasperini’s side at Anfield last week, but the German has opted for a strong starting line-up for the clash at the Gewiss Stadium.

One intriguing change in attack sees Cody Gakpo come in for Darwin Nunez, with the Uruguayan and Diogo Jota among the substitutes.

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Reacting to the team news on the Liverpool Echo‘s live matchday blog, Paul Gorst stated: “I am surprised a little bit to see Cody Gakpo start, even though the Netherlands frontman has been in decent form of late. In full fairness, he has scored a decent number of goals in this competition this term. Only Darwin Nunez has more than Gakpo’s four.

“It’s a first start since early February for Trent Alexander-Arnold too. How they will need his creativity from deep tonight. Jota and Nunez in reserve is tantalising.”

Jota is still waiting for his first Liverpool start in two months, although he’s appeared off the bench in the Reds’ last couple of matches since returning from a knee injury (Transfermarkt).

Nunez drops out after a run of just one goal in six matches but he’s already had a telling impact as a substitute this season, coming on to score twice in the dramatic win at Newcastle in August and also getting the 99th-minute winner away to Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago.

The pair have scored 32 times between them in the current campaign, certainly a nice luxury to have in reserve if we need a goal or two during the second half tonight.

Hopefully the starting front three of Luis Diaz, Gakpo and Mo Salah can do the business and rescue Liverpool’s first-leg deficit, but having Jota and Nunez to call upon off the bench is indeed a tantalising prospect if it’s needed.

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Jamie Carragher names four Liverpool players he’d like to see starting second leg v Atalanta

Liam Togher — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 08:01:56 +0000

Jamie Carragher has sought to clarify what he meant by advising Liverpool to go with a ‘second string’ line-up for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta.

The Reds’ European involvement is dangling by a thread after they lost 0-3 at home to the Serie A side last Thursday, leaving them with a huge mountain to climb for the return fixture in Bergamo later this week.

The Sky Sports pundit advocated for a much-changed line-up to be fielded in Italy in deference to the Premier League campaign, although he’s insisted that he wasn’t calling for a virtual under-21 team to be put out against the Nerazzurri.

Awful result & performance from Liverpool, the only consolation about getting beat so heavily is Jurgen should play a full second string in the second leg & go all in for the league!

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) April 11, 2024

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Speaking to the Liverpool Echo on Saturday, Carragher clarified: “When I said ‘second string’ I wasn’t talking about the kids. I meant, you know, give Trent [Alexander-Arnold] a game, give Diogo Jota a game, Curtis Jones, maybe the goalkeeper [Alisson Becker] plays.

“When you’ve got to play four away in 10 days because they’ve got to go to Atalanta on the Thursday and then Fulham on the Sunday, I was just thinking playing your best team and trying to give it absolutely everything and it might not be enough, because it is going to be tough.

“Then you go to Fulham and you’re not at your best and it doesn’t go well at Fulham, you are then falling behind in the league. The Premier League title is so much bigger than the Europa League. We all want to win both but we have put ourselves in a difficult position but we have still got ourselves in a great position in the league.

“We’re in a better position in the league than we are now in the Europa League, so for me I just think the league is too important, especially if we win against Crystal Palace. Fulham is much more important than Atalanta and even getting through.”

There’s logic to Carragher’s suggestion that Jurgen Klopp may be best advised to play the percentages and field a much-changed line-up next Thursday, given the scale of the task that Liverpool face in Europe amid a Premier League title charge where there’s no room for error.

The German was questioned over the alterations he made to the team for the first leg, with his decision to start with Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai on the bench backfiring as then Reds sunk to a heavy defeat.

However, considering the spate of injuries with which we’ve had to contend earlier this season, it makes sense for the manager to utilise the enviable squad depth that he now has, especially with such a hectic period of crucial fixtures coming up.

Obviously we want to see Liverpool excelling on all fronts, but if a European exit on Thursday is the price to pay for winning every Premier League match (and ultimately the domestic title) until the end of the campaign, most fans would probably sign up for that right now.

Klopp could still go with a reasonably strong team against Atalanta and make a few alterations for the Fulham clash three days later with what he’d consider to be the ‘best’ starting XI available to him.

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Liverpool fans will rejoice at seeing three names in particular among tonight’s matchday squad

Liam Togher — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 18:20:53 +0000

There’s an argument to be made that Liverpool’s substitutes’ bench for tonight’s Europa League clash against Atalanta is as interesting, perhaps even more so, than the starting XI.

Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai are among the standout players who drop out of the line-up for this game, and three other names among the subs will also catch the eye.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Stefan Bajcetic all return to the matchday squad tonight after lengthy injury absences, with the former two having not played since mid-February and the latter sidelined since September 2023.

Team news is in for tonight's #UEL clash with Atalanta

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 11, 2024

Jurgen Klopp will ideally want to ease that trio back into the team rather than throwing them in at the deep end straight away, but their mere presence among the substitutes will have Liverpool fans rejoicing.

The dream scenario for the manager is that the Reds will be in a strong enough position by 70-75 minutes to be able to bring on the likes of Trent, Jota and Bajcetic to get some game-time into their legs ahead of forthcoming fixtures.

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Atalanta will be striving to ensure that isn’t the case, but even if this fixture comes a small bit too soon to give that trio a few minutes of action, their inclusion in the matchday squad illustrates that they’re fit enough to potentially be involved tonight.

With so many crucial games coming up in such a short timespan for Liverpool, Klopp will be mightily relieved to finally have a near fully-fit squad at his disposal after an injury crisis a few weeks ago which threatened to cripple our season but thankfully hasn’t.

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‘They looked very good yesterday’ – Klopp’s injury update on Liverpool duo will delight Reds fans

Liam Togher — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 13:30:15 +0000

Jurgen Klopp has dropped a very encouraging update on two Liverpool players who’ve been sidelined with injury in recent weeks.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota haven’t featured since mid-February due to their respective knee injuries, while Alisson Becker has been out for a similar period and Stefan Bajcetic is closing in on a return after a seven-month absence (Evening Standard).

The Reds manager was asked for an update on the injured members of his squad in today’s press conference ahead of the Europa League clash against Atalanta at Anfield, and he had particularly positive updates on the vice-captain and Portugal attacker.

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When asked if there’s a chance of them featuring tomorrow night, Klopp replied (via Liverpool Echo): “We’ll have to see that. We didn’t rush it with the boys. Diogo and Trent worked as a group for two or three weeks and could do proper training. They looked very good yesterday.

“Stefan is different a little bit because he was out for much longer. It might make sense to give him a game for the under-21s. Alisson is on his way back as well. They are now back in training and now we’ll see how we involve them.”

Klopp added that the goalkeeper hasn’t resumed ‘full training’ as of yet, so his return may be another few days away.

Whether Jota and Trent will be fit enough to make the matchday squad tomorrow night remains to be seen, as Klopp has stressed that he doesn’t want to rush them back, but it’s a very positive indicator that he didn’t explicitly rule them out of the fixture.

The vice-captain may be held in reserve for another match or two in deference to the thriving Conor Bradley, although the Portuguese winger might be given minutes against Atalanta if he’s able to play, with Luis Diaz, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez having had virtually no rest in recent weeks.

If the European game comes a bit too soon for the impending returnees, there’s a good chance that they might make their comeback against Crystal Palace on Sunday, by which stage the Reds could be nudged down to third in the Premier League table should Manchester City beat Luton the previous afternoon.

The incredible ball-playing quality of Trent and cold-blooded finishing of Jota will make Liverpool an even stronger proposition during the final six weeks of the season, and the importance of their returns can’t be overstated. Seeing either or both of them in action tomorrow would be a massive boost for us.

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(Image) Not just Trent, Jota, Bajcetic & Alisson; another injured player was back in training

Peter Kenny Jones — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:43:15 +0000

Liverpool fans have been rejoicing as we saw the like of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Stefan Bajcetic and Alisson Becker back in training but they weren’t the only ones.

Taking to his Instagram account, Ben Doak uploaded an image of himself back on the grass alongside a caption of: ‘Almost’.

It’s a great boost to be able to have the Scot back in the squad, as it could add for some respite for the attacking players in Europa League competition.

It’s unlikely we’ll see much of the teenager in the Premier League but he should be given some minutes, if able to play again in the coming weeks.

You can view the image of Doak via his Instagram account:

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(Video) Diogo’s back; Liverpool fans will love what Jota did in training

Peter Kenny Jones — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:30:53 +0000

We’ve waited a long time to see Diogo Jota back in action for the Reds and if the most recent clip from him in training is anything to go by – we’ve every reason to be excited.

Shared on the club’s social media channels, our No.20 showed off his finishing and it will provide great joy for every Liverpool fan.

The finishing on display is exactly what we were missing at Old Trafford last weekend and let’s just hope the Portuguese forward can stay fit and help us achieve a successful end to the campaign.

You can watch the clip of Jota via @LFC on X:

Finish, @DiogoJota18 #TeamPixel | #Ad pic.twitter.com/6W1mPoU5bf

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 9, 2024

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Neil Jones shares huge news coming out of Liverpool this afternoon

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 14:16:30 +0000

Liverpool fans could all do with some positive news following the disappointment of a draw at Old Trafford.

Neil Jones has the perfect remedy, sharing details of the Reds’ latest injury boost on X (formerly Twitter). The EOTK Insider columnist relayed a tweet from @LFC showcasing the return of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Stefan Bajcetic to team training.

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Jota and Bajčetić are all back training #LFC https://t.co/IqXv7A8jAT

— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) April 9, 2024

The Merseysiders are set to next take on Atalanta in the Europa League before also welcoming Crystal Palace to Anfield this Sunday.

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Huge boost for Liverpool’s title push

As admirably as the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley have performed, there’s no question these are massive returns for Jurgen Klopp.

With only goal difference separating ourselves and Arsenal, in second and first place respectively, such an instant injection of quality could be a difference-maker down the line.

Let’s hope they’re all able to get involved in a jam-packed April of fixtures as soon as possible!

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Liverpool in line for triple injury boost ahead of upcoming fixture as return date mooted

Liam Togher — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:47:07 +0000

Liverpool could soon be set for a massive injury boost, with three players believed to be nearing their respective comebacks.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Jurgen Klopp could welcome back Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota for the second leg of the Reds’ Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta on 18 April, with all three having been sidelined since mid-February.

In further good news on the injury front, Stefan Bajcetic is in line to resume training with the senior squad next week, having not featured for LFC in nearly seven months.

While the ideal scenario would be for Liverpool to build a handsome enough lead in the first leg against Atalanta this week so that Klopp wouldn’t need to go full strength for the reverse fixture in Italy, it’d be quite the fillip if Trent, Alisson and Jota were all fit for the trip to Bergamo in nine days’ time.

There’s a good chance that the former two in particular may be held back for the Premier League visit to Fulham the following Sunday. Although Conor Bradley and Caoimhin Kelleher have performed commendably over the past two months, it’s likely that both would revert to the bench when the vice-captain and Brazil number one regain full fitness.

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The latter half of April sees a frantic period of four away matches in 10 days, so squad rotation will be paramount during that spell in order to give LFC the best possible chance of lifting two more trophies this season.

If Trent, Alisson and Jota are all available once more for that relentless run of fixtures, it could make a monumental difference to Liverpool’s pursuit of glory on the domestic and European front. In the meantime, we just need there to be no-one added to the injury list as the crunch games come thick and fast.

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(Video) Sky pundit selects one Liverpool player that would have made the difference against Man Utd

Peter Kenny Jones — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:43:17 +0000

Liverpool fans will still be regretting the missed opportunity to maintain our lead at the top of the Premier League table and one pundit thinks another player could have made a difference.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Sue Smith said: “I just think Jota, the coolness and the calmness he has, it’s alright to say in hindsight but I just think if one of those chances had fallen for him – would he have put one in?”

It’s such a shame that our No.20 is so often spending extending periods of time on the treatment table and we certainly missed his killer instinct against Manchester United.

Let’s hope that this is our last blip of the campaign though and that we see Diogo Jota back on the pitch and scoring goals soon.

You can watch Smith’s comments on Liverpool missing Jota vla @SkySportsPL on X:

Would Jota have made an impact for Liverpool against Man Utd? pic.twitter.com/ixcXaH9VdP

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 8, 2024

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(Video) Jurgen Klopp delivers seven-man injury update ahead of Brighton

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:09:25 +0000

Jurgen Klopp has been doing it all season and the first injury update after an international break is always a big one and the manager had plenty of players to address.

Firstly, on Andy Robertson: “Robbo, we take it a little bit day by day so we will see. He will not train today but it’s not as bad. So that’s fine.”

On the rest of the squad: “Curtis, I am not sure if he is available [for Sunday], but in training.

“Ibou was an extra rest day [on Thursday], nothing else. [Nunez] is fine. He did his rehab during the week, trained the first day partially since we are back partially and since then he is in full training.”

On Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota, the German added: “And the other boys, from next week on step by step I think they will join parts of team training and then team training, so we will see what we do with that.

“They are not too far away but not in yet, none of them was yet even close to team training. But they all make their steps and so it’s positive.”

It’s a shame that we’re so close to the end of the season and have so many concerns but it does seem rather positive for most of the players involved.

Let’s hope that as the days and weeks pass, our squad size grows and the attendance in the treatment room continues to diminish.

You can watch Klopp’s update (from 1:35) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Forget Salah & Nunez: Liverpool player with 63% win rate could win them the title

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:05:49 +0000

Diogo Jota might very well be Liverpool’s most valuable player going into the business end of the season.

Sam Dean reports for The Telegraph that, out of all Reds to have made a minimum of 35 appearances since the start of last season, no player has a higher win percentage (63%) than the Portuguese frontman.

The former Wolves hitman has sadly been out of action since being stretchered off against Brentford. The Standard note that a return date in the coming weeks could be on the cards following Jurgen Klopp’s positive appraisal of the situation.

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What do the stats say?

Outside of injuries, the 27-year-old has been pretty influential on the pitch this term.

Jota has found the net on 14 separate occasions this term – nine of those coming in the league (19 games).

Diogo Jota suffers injury heartbreak – (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Liverpool, it’s worth emphasising, have won in each and every game the striker has scored in barring an unfortunate 3-2 defeat to Toulouse in Europe.

If there’s one man destined to fire us to league glory, it could very well be our clinical No.20.

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Paul Joyce: Liverpool could be given huge double injury boost for Man United showdown

Liam Togher — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:19:45 +0000

Liverpool could be in line for a massive double injury boost ahead of their visit to Old Trafford on Sunday week.

The Reds travel to face Manchester United on 7 April with revenge on their minds after the agonising FA Cup exit at the same venue earlier this month, this time seeking to maintain their Premier League title charge.

The Times’ Paul Joyce has reported (via The Anfield Talk) that two members of Jurgen Klopp’s squad are targeting a return to action for the showdown against Erik ten Hag’s side.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold is aiming to be ready for the Old Trafford clash, having been ruled out with a knee injury since the win over Burnley in February.

Having suffered the same setback as the vice-captain a week later against Brentford, Liverpool could also see Diogo Jota return to action in time to face United.

(🟢) NEW:

Trent Alexander-Arnold is aiming to be ready for the Manchester Utd game on April 7th.

Diogo Jota could also be back then. [@_pauljoyce]

— The Anfield Talk (@TheAnfieldTalk) March 27, 2024

Liverpool’s monstrous injury list from a few weeks ago has cleared slightly of late with the returns of Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, while some other casualties are reportedly nearing a comeback, although Andy Robertson’s ankle blow for Scotland on Tuesday night is far from ideal.

The recent trip to Old Trafford saw Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo all suffer knocks, but the latter two subsequently featured on international duty and should be fine to face Brighton this Sunday.

Getting Trent and Jota back for the United clash would be a massive boost for the Reds, who could very much do with the vice-captain’s obscene playmaking ability and the 27-year-old’s cold-blooded finishing prowess to secure three points at the home of their biggest rivals.

Indeed, you can’t help but wonder if Liverpool would still be in the FA Cup had the Portuguese attacker been able to play against the Red Devils in the quarter-final defeat. You’d have fancied him to bury one or two of the gilt-edged chances that we passed up on that fateful afternoon in Manchester.

Of course, we still have two matches to negotiate before going to Old Trafford, so fingers crossed that the injury list won’t have any further additions in the meantime.

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Who will be Liverpool’s top scorer alongside Mo Salah this season?

Liam Togher — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:24:09 +0000

Mo Salah has been Liverpool’s top goalscorer for each of the last six seasons, and he leads the way again this campaign after netting his 21st in all competitions during last Sunday’s FA Cup defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Egyptian is likely to claim top spot again but which Red will be up there with him? This article assesses our forward players as Jurgen Klopp’s men strive to lift the Premier League and Europa League trophies in May.

Having already claimed the Carabao Cup, the Reds will be aiming to make it a memorable treble before the German’s emotional departure from Anfield.

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The Names in the Frame

Liverpool have already scored more than 100 goals across the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season. Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz have ably supported sharp-shooter Salah in firing the Reds to numerous wins all season. Here’s a look at how each attacker has fared so far in 2023/24

Football fans keen to back their favourite Liverpool players for the top scorer award, can assess scores and odds before placing a wager. This allows bettors to make an informed decision based on the stats and results recorded throughout the season.

Darwin Nunez

The Uruguayan is enjoying his second season on Merseyside since joining from Benfica in the summer of 2022 and currently has 17 goals to his name in all competitions.

A player who can miss a glaring opportunity and then net a stunning strike moments later, Nunez has started to find more consistency for Liverpool and has scored six goals in his last seven matches for the club.

Currently second in the scoring charts, as LFC’s leading centre-forward, he will be determined to have his name in lights alongside Salah in the final tally at the end of the season.

Diogo Jota

The forward has only made 28 appearances this season due to injury but has still recorded a goal tally of 14. With a strike rate of one every 112 minutes, Jota is a key player for Liverpool and is set to return to action following the international break.

A versatile option across all of the forward positions, the 27-year-old combines skill with a relentless work-rate, and he regularly finds himself popping up in the right place at the right time.

The Portugal international’s comeback is a boost for Klopp, and seemingly capable of scoring whether starting or coming on from the bench, he will be confident of netting as many as Nunez during the vital run-in.

Mo Salah celebrates with teammate Diogo Jota after scoring the first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield on November 12, 2023. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Cody Gakpo

Gakpo has been a big plus for Liverpool since joining from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, mixing pace with guile to provide the team with a new dimension upfront.

The Netherlands international has scored a total of 20 goals for the Reds, with 13 in this campaign, hitting a brace in the emphatic 6-1 victory over Sparta Prague in the Europa League.

Already making more than 40 Liverpool appearances this term by March, the 24-year-old has now played in the Premier League for more than a year and is adept at several different types of finish.

With two months of the season remaining, the attacker’s input is set to be key as the Reds navigate their two most important competitions of the campaign domestically and on the continent.

Luis Diaz

Liverpool’s number 7 has chipped in with an important 11 goals so far this season and will play an integral role for the remainder of the campaign.

Boasting neat skill and clever movement in and around the penalty box, the Colombia international can find the net and is also the perfect foil for his teammates, creating space and energy in the final third to open up opposition defences.

Diaz netted important goals in Liverpool’s opening Premier League games against Chelsea and Bournemouth last August and will be hoping to have the same impact in the matches at the business end of the campaign.

Who Will be King of Liverpool Assists?

Salah and Nunez have recorded the most assists for Liverpool this season, teeing up 12 goals each. While the Egyptian is often regarded as the Reds’ talisman and so often delivers when the team needs him most, the numbers prove how crucial the Uruguayan is in how Klopp’s team set up at home and in Europe.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, so effective and a constant assists supplier, has recorded nine during a season which has included spells in midfield, while Harvey Elliott’s swift eye for a pass has seen him set up seven goals. Alexis McAllister, who is equally adept at playing the ball through the eye of a needle, has six assists while Conor Bradley has recorded the same number in just 18 appearances.

Summing Up

Nunez is scoring goals at a regular rate and is having an important impact alongside Salah. As it stands, he’s likely to push the Egyptian King for the title of Reds’ top scorer for 2023/24, but Jota, Gakpo and Diaz will all have a huge say during the remaining two months of the campaign.

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(Video) Klopp delivers mixed bag seven-man injury update; Jota, Trent, Konate and more

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:10:25 +0000

It’s been a season marred by injuries for Liverpool but also one where our squad and academy players have stood up to every test sent their way, with Jurgen Klopp forced to deliver yet another update.

Speaking with the press before facing Manchester United in the FA Cup, our boss said: “Ibou didn’t train today, we have to see if he can train tomorrow but it will be a tight, tight race which we will probably lose, but we don’t know.

“Bobby felt much better. That was uncomfortable, he got a knock there, a little swelling and that’s why [we had] the feeling that it might be something more serious but it’s not, so he’s fine.

“Ryan trained today again, so he’s ready. And the others, some of the others, [will return] after the international break.”

Before adding on Curtis Jones: “Curtis [Jones], and I think the other two, Diogo [Jota] and Trent [Alexander-Arnold], for the week after. A chance.”

And then on Stefan Bajcetic: “Stefan is pretty much now in his pre-season to make him physically ready,” he said.

“So, in the moment he feels something, it’s not an injury, it’s intensity. He’s a young lad so we just have to make sure that we don’t use him before he is really ready because what happened before was that the body was not 100 per cent ready for the intensity that professional football is asking for.

“He is much better, he is in a much better place now. He had a long time, unfortunately, to improve that but that’s where we now have to wait a little bit.

“But he is in his pre-season and I think he will be part of team training as well after the international break.”

It was a comprehensive update from the boss, although the like of Alisson Becker, Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip were not addressed, illustrating just how extensive our injury problems are.

It looks like the end of the international break will bring with it the birth of a new squad at Anfield and let’s hope that we’re still in a strong position in all three competitions by time they all return.

You can watch Klopp’s injury updates (from 3:05) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Virtual reality: The Liverpool players who can’t get enough of video games

Liam Togher — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:24:50 +0000

For millions of football fans worldwide who never get to play the sport professionally, their dreams of winning major trophies with their beloved club are lived out through video games.

However, according to ExpressVPN, there are also quite a few footballers at the highest level who can’t get enough of blasting their way to glory on EA Sports FC and the like.

Among Liverpool’s squad, perhaps the best-known lover of such video games is Diogo Jota, whose passion for the virtual version of the sport at which he excels has been borne out by him establishing his own eSports team.

The 27-year-old also regularly partakes in forfeit challenges when playing EA Sports FC (formerly the FIFA series), and when the 2022/23 version of the game was released, he shot up to sixth in the world rankings on FIFA Ultimate Team (Liverpool Echo).

If you think that’s impressive, he was once ranked as the number one player worldwide on FIFA 21!

Jota’s love for video games also occasionally manifests itself in his goal celebrations. After scoring against Southampton during the 2021/22 season, and following his stoppage time winner against Tottenham last April, he sat on the floor and mimed playing a games console.

You can go all the way back to the global lockdown during the first wave of the global pandemic four years ago to see just how proficient the Portugal winger is at football gaming.

He actually came up against Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final of the FIFA 20 ePremier League Invitational, when Liverpool’s current number 20 was playing for Wolves and representing them in the game. The Reds may have cruised to the actual league title that year, but Jota came out on top in the virtual battle, defeating the Scouser 2-1.

Diogo doesn’t have sole dibs at Anfield on being an avid gamer, though – Cody Gakpo is also known to be fond of computerised football.

Earlier this season, the Dutchman partook in a concentration challenge with Premier League Uncut host Ben Black, in which the 24-year-old was asked a series of questions sent in by audience members while playing EA Sports FC.

He and Nat Phillips also went up against Jota and musician Jamie Webster in a no-rules FIFA 23 challenge, which was every bit as good-natured as you’d expect from those participating!

Liverpool’s players have been doing the business on the pitch – where it counts for real – this season, and a few Reds clearly like to switch off with a video game or two as well.

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