German soccer manager Jurgen Klopp will skip Liverpool’s Chelsea trip after becoming the last Premier League manager to test positive for Covid-19.
A little about the topic
Jurgen returned a positive coronavirus test Saturday morning and will therefore be absent from the touchline at Stamford Bridge. Lijnders’ assistant manager will take over the leadership of the team, and three other as-yet-unnamed staff members are also expected to skip the game after contracting the disease. Liverpool’s preparations have already been hit hard, with three first-team players testing positive earlier this week.
Jurgen reported mild symptoms on Friday and returned the suspicion to be positive for Covid the next day. Klopp is quarantining while awaiting PCR test results, but did not travel to London with his side on Saturday afternoon, and will also likely miss Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final in Arsenal’s first leg. In addition, three senior players and three other staff members have returned positive tests since Liverpool’s last fix, defeat to Leicester on December 28. Liverpool will also be left without five first-team players – Harvey Elliott, Divock Origi, Nat Phillips, Minamino and Alcantara – due to injury.
There was no request for an adjournment
Red sources insist that they did not apply to the Premier League for a postponement, and that they do not foresee this at this stage. They will understandably still have enough older players off the pitch plus a goalkeeper to complete the rig, although this will be subject to change if more positive tests are recorded between now and Sunday afternoon. Chelsea manager Tuchel has been outspoken in his belief that the Premier League could do more to help clubs cope with the coronavirus outbreaks. Chelsea himself is struggling due to injuries and positive cases, but for the time being, Sunday’s demo clash will continue, albeit with a number of key figures missing.