Liverpool are scheduled to travel to Stamford Bridge next weekend to face Chelsea but the fixture is in doubt due to The Queen’s funeral. 

All Premier League games have been postponed this weekend as a mark of respect and until a date for The Queen’s funeral is decided, the return of the Premier League will remain unknown.

There are major concerns around the clash at Stamford Bridge next Sunday due to the fact that there might not be enough police available to oversee the game as they prepare to be deployed on a larger scale in the capital.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the positive news regarding the match came from King Charles III, who confirmed at his proclamation that The Queen’s funeral would be marked by a Bank Holiday for the country, suggesting it is likely to take place on Monday, September 19.

READ MORE: “He’s a great player” – Liverpool youngster has a big fan in Roberto Firmino

This could give the game some hope as it is scheduled for the Sunday before but the likelihood is slim, seeing as it is in London.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport have reiterated their guidance in relation to the staging of Premier League games which remains unchanged.

Issuing a statement to football.london, the DCMS said: “Our guidance will stay the same. There’s no obligation to cancel as far as the government is concerned. But it’s ultimately up to the Premier League and EFL to make those decisions.”

According to Sky Sports, who have given an update on the situation, the EFL is expected to resume on Tuesday and complete their midweek round of fixtures.

They also state that it is hoped that there will be games in the top flight next weekend but it could be decided on a game-by-game basis, which could mean that only games in London are affected.

There is some hope that Liverpool’s game with Chelsea can go ahead next Sunday with King Charles’ words being the biggest encouragement but the fact that the clash is happening in London seems to be the biggest factor. Should police be available, however, then the Reds could be back in Premier League action soon.

Sky Sports News explains when football may return as the United Kingdom mourns the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/5bHV4XUeBs

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 10, 2022

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Liverpool have seen their Portuguese-speaking contingent grow fast in recent years and it has become an important group within Jurgen Klopp’s squad. 

Fabio Carvalho is the latest star to arrive on Merseyside with the language as his mother tongue and the Portuguese youngster is already impressing his teammates in a red shirt.

The 20-year-old’s talent was evident throughout pre-season but once the important action got underway, it was clear that Liverpool have a special talent on their hands.

Carvalho has played in every game so far this campaign and has bagged two goals in the Premier League – his goal against Newcastle being the moment of the season so far.

His performances earned him a start against Everton last weekend and Roberto Firmino was full of praise for the Liverpool youngster in a recent interview with Eleven Sports.

READ MORE: Neymar heaps praise on “strong and intelligent” Van Dijk stating it is hard to play against the Liverpool defender

“He’s a great player,” Firmino said to Eleven Sports via Noticias ao Minuto.

“I confess that I had already watched some of his games before coming to Liverpool, so I was already impressed by the way he played.

“He’s a craque [meaning ace/star in Portuguese], he’s a great player and now he’s also a very close friend.

“We are happy to have him here at Liverpool and I know he will help us a lot, with assists, goals and also his character on the pitch.”

Although many of us would love another midfielder in the squad, it has been great to see Carvalho and Harvey Elliott in action this season for the Reds.

We have two special talents on our hands with the two youngsters and it seems that the squad are very impressed with them also. The pair have bright futures ahead of them and we can count ourselves lucky that they will be developing their skills further in the red of Liverpool Football Club.

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Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Neymar, has been speaking about the hardest defenders he has played against and naturally that conversation included Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. 

The Dutchman has become one of the best defenders in the world since joining the Reds in 2018 with many already putting him in the category of the best defenders to ever play in the Premier League.

The centre-back is often brought up by forwards when they are talking about the hardest defenders they have played against and that was the case again when it came to Neymar.

The pair went head-to-head most recently at club level during the Champions League group phase in 2018 with Liverpool winning their home tie 3-2, whilst losing 2-1 in Paris – a match in which Neymar scored the winner.

READ MORE: Spanish report criticises Klopp who ruled out three big signings in preference of Darwin Nunez this summer

“Playing against Van Dijk is tough because as a centre-back, he’s so strong and intelligent,” Neymar told DAZN Canada.

“He knows when it’s the right time to close you down and when to go in for a tackle. That makes it harder. He’s intelligent. It’s harder to play against intelligent centre-backs. They don’t make mistakes.”

Despite this praise, the Brazilian star stopped short of naming Van Dijk as the toughest defender he’s ever faced, instead opting for Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker. The forward described the England international as ‘fast, strong and intelligent.’

The full Neymar interview can be seen below.

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A Spanish outlet has had a dig at Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp over the handling of the elements surrounding the summer signing of Darwin Nunez. 

The Uruguayan was the Reds’ big signing during the most recent transfer window arriving from Benfica for a club-record fee of £85m, as reported by Sky Sports. Liverpool have not only placed massive faith in the 23-year-old through the fee they paid but the Merseyside club have tied the striker down to a six-year contract.

Nunez was bought by Liverpool after making a lasting impression on Klopp following the Reds’ encounters with Benfica during last season’s Champions League campaign, with the German stating “We fell all in love in these two games” when speaking about the forward to Liverpoolfc.com. 

The 23-year-old has had an up-and-down start to life on Merseyside and with the big fee attached to his name, many have already rushed into criticising the Uruguayan.

READ MORE: (Video) Peter Crouch thanks Jamie Carragher for his ‘special’ relationship with Liverpool

One such outlet is Spanish newspaper El Pais, who have been less than impressed with what they have seen from the former Benfica man, with one journalist taking an early swipe and describing him as a ‘glaring blemish’ on Klopp’s success in the transfer market of recent years.

The report adds that Liverpool’s owners were left ‘perplexed’ when the German dismissed any concerns over the forward and that Klopp was warned by club staff he was taking a ‘huge risk’ by sanctioning the signing of the 23-year-old.

El Pais state that summer moves for Heung-min Son, Richarlison and Robert Lewandowski were on the table for Klopp, but according to the report, the three names mentioned were ‘flatly ruled out’ by the Liverpool boss.

First and foremost, as Liverpool fans, most of us are delighted with the signing of Darwin Nunez and apart from the Crystal Palace incident, the signs have been good. Klopp clearly feels the player is the right one and therefore, why should anyone question the manager’s instincts at this early stage?

Although the signings of Lewandowski and Son would have been nice, they are both in their thirties, and if you are investing big money it might as well be in the 23-year-old.

As for Richarlison, the former Everton star would never have been accepted at Anfield and with all the other clubs that were interested in Nunez, we should be happy that he chose us and we will certainly reap the benefits in the near future and beyond.

EOTK Insider Opinion: 70% of Liverpool fans suspect he’s fallen out with Liverpool but… What is going on with Naby Keita?

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