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Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Ozan Kabak is in line to play Manchester City on Sunday, but the Liverpool manager was coy about the fitness of Alisson, Fabinho and Sadio Mane.
Kabak arrived from Schalke on loan for the remainder of the season on Deadline Day, while Liverpool have the option to buy the 20-year-old in the summer.
The defender was not involved in the loss to Brighton, but has since received international clearance to play Premier League leaders City live. Sky sports on Sunday, a point that Klopp only learned moments before Friday’s pregame press conference.
“International clearance, yes,” Klopp said, after consulting with the Liverpool press officer standing beside him. “Obviously in the last 10 minutes because 10 minutes ago no one told me that. Great!”
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Klopp also said that Alisson, Fabinho and Mane, who missed the Brighton game, all participated in parts of training on Friday, saying “we’ll see” as to whether the trio would face City at Anfield.
“Ali is feeling much better, well enough to have a solo session today. Sadio and Fab will be in parts of the team training today, and then we will see.”
“We showed Kabak and Davies a movie of the middle half!”
Kabak’s availability, along with that of teammate Ben Davies, who signed on Deadline Day, could see at least one of the two start at center back against City, with captain Jordan Henderson potentially returning to midfield after substitute. In the back.
Klopp admitted that he is not sure if Kabak will start, but said both he and Davies were shown a “film of the central half” on Thursday to outline Liverpool’s defensive approach.
When asked if Kabak was ready to start, Klopp said: “I don’t know. Our situation, we’ll see who can play again, who can’t, who shouldn’t or should play again. All these kinds of things and then watch.
“In an ideal world, you have a few weeks to work together on defensive stuff, especially organization and all these kinds of things. The guys from now, Ben and Ozan, trained yesterday and had an analysis meeting where they showed them everything. what we do, usually like a movie in the middle of the center.
“So today, proper session, tomorrow proper session, and then we’ll see. I don’t know yet.”
‘We will keep trying to defend the title’
Following the 1-0 home loss to Brighton, Liverpool defender Andy Robertson admitted the champions weren’t in a title race “right now” given that City are seven points ahead of them with a game in hand.
Klopp echoed this belief, but said Liverpool will strive to keep scoring points and see where they stand on the table in April or May.
“After two years getting this question all the time when we were close enough, it might have made some sense, I just don’t see it right now,” Klopp said. “You have to win football games, if you do it often enough, there is a specific moment of the season where it’s clear: ‘Okay, now we’re going for it.’
“We were in that situation for the last two years. [this] moment we are not. Why should we think about it? But we have to think about collecting our points, which could happen again in April or May, but I don’t know yet, why should we think about it?
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Former Liverpool players Dirk Kuyt, Glen Johnson and David James reflect on the signings of Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak on the club’s Deadline Day
“We only think about it because they ask us. But it is not important, it is not what drives you or gets you up every morning. We really tried very hard, in a very, very difficult season, and we will try. Sunday next time. “
Carra: Liverpool’s title defense ‘hangs in the balance’
“Andy Robertson has come out and said that Liverpool are not in the title race, and I think that’s the right way to look at it right now,” Jamie Carragher told Pitch to Post Preview Podcast.
“Liverpool have to be looking at the top four positions and, to state the obvious, take each game as it comes because the form is very low.
“There are so many changes in the team that you are never sure what it is going to be. Alisson was out in the last minute against Brighton and Liverpool are still waiting for the players to come back.”
“So I think from now on, if you offered Liverpool a top four result, they would take it and shake it up. That should be the Liverpool mentality because that’s what they’re looking for right now.
“If they could get back into the title race, and, to do so, they would have to beat City on Sunday, maybe they could see where they are with seven or eight games to go. Hopefully, from Liverpool’s perspective, City could have something kind of gout.
“The race that City is in at the moment is out of this world. It’s impossible to maintain that, City can’t win every game so I would expect them to drop points at some point.
“But the problem for Liverpool is that the gap is too big, and it certainly will be if they fail to win at Anfield.”
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