Pepijn Lijnders handled press conference duties ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup game against Leicester City and provided an update on our COVID positive players.
Jurgen Klopp’s assistant spoke very well as he handled questions on the current COVID situation, fallout from the Tottenham Hostspur game and updated on squad injuries.
In our last game, we had Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara, the Dutch coach was asked to provide an update on where the team is with the previous and any possible new COVID absences.
The 38-year-old said: “The boys are OK. This virus is really unpredictable, so we have to look at it case by case and player by player. Health comes first so we have to make sure we don’t rush it, that they come back whenever they are ready.
“People underestimate when it’s 10 days’ quarantine, they think they can play immediately on day 11, but football doesn’t work like this. You need training. Because it’s a team sport you need to again get the feeling of the game.
“What’s most important is that they are healthy, that they stay safe and that we give them time. That we just follow the guidelines and protocols of the doctors, of our scientists. That’s the most important thing”.
All five were out with ‘suspected’ positive tests but there doesn’t look to be any wiggle room on whether they are positive and when they will be back.
It appears that it will all be dealt with on a case by case basis.
The positive news from this is that there are no new players that are said to be out through the same cause and so we should be able to face Leeds United with a clean bill of health, on Boxing Day.
Given the likely large amount of changes that will occur for the quarter-final, let’s hope the rest of the squad say fit, healthy and negative in the meantime.
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