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Klopp without Firmino and Jota
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota will sit out Liverpool’s clash with Leeds — and he is unsure whether they will be fit for the Carabao Cup final.
Klopp, 54, has already ordered his troops to forget about Sunday’s Wembley showdown with Chelsea until they have secured three points at Anfield tomorrow night.
A win will pull them to within three points of Premier League leaders Manchester City but they will have to get it without crocked duo Firmino and Jota.
Klopp said: “For tomorrow, no chance and for the final we will see. I don’t know at the moment.
“It will be easier for me to say no now but they are pushing. They’re not on the pitch for training, which is not a good sign.
“We have to see what we can do with the boys in the next few days and then we’ll make a decision later in the week.”
Vieira wary of being stung
Patrick Vieira insists Crystal Palace will take nothing for granted when they head to relegation-haunted Watford tomorrow night.
The Hornets were buoyed by a 1-0 win at Aston Villa last Saturday but the impressive result left them in the Premier League’s bottom three.
And Viera, who saw his side lose by the same scoreline to Chelsea that day, has reminded his players of the need to stay switched on until the final whistle.
He said: “It’s an important game, no doubt about it. We know that every game has its challenges and every game is important.
“We never take things for granted and we are not putting emphasis on where we are in the table.
“We know where we are, we know what we want to achieve and how we want to play. We need to go on the field and perform for 95 minutes.”
Kane will play
Antonio Conte has given Tottenham fans a boost by declaring Harry Kane will be fit to face Burnley.
Kane, 28, bagged a double as Tottenham edged a thrilling 3-2 victory at Manchester City last Saturday to blow the Premier League title race wide open.
And Conte believes the England hitman will be back on the pitch tomorrow night when Spurs take on Sean Dyche’s Clarets at Turf Moor.
He said: “Harry had a hit on his back but he has to play.
“Even if he has one leg, he has to play. He is good. Harry knows his importance to the team.”
Bielsa on the defensive
Marcelo Bielsa has leapt to the defence of how his staff handled the head injury Robin Koch sustained as Leeds lost 4-2 to Manchester United.
Koch, 25, received a nasty gash to the forehead during a first-half collision with Scott McTominay but returned to action before being taken off with signs of concussion.
The incident led to brain charity injury Headway and the PFA criticising the current protocols in place to protect players under such circumstances.
And Bielsa insists Leeds did everything possible by following the rules to the letter. He said: “We did everything according to the protocol.
“I was convinced it was just the bleeding from the cut. That was the first conclusion after the evaluation the player had.
“When he manifested different symptoms, he was substituted.
“I stayed with the initial position with the absurd idea of not wanting to abuse the rules.
“The prevention of the knocks on the heads of the players is very serious, very important. That can generate real dramas.
“But it’s also true that you should not dramatise situations that don’t deserve to be interpreted in the way this situation has been interpreted.”
