Jurgen Klopp has issued encouraging updates on injured Liverpool duo Diogo Jota and Alisson Becker ahead of Wednesday night’s clash against Sheffield United, but ruled out any possibility of either featuring at Bramall Lane.

Both players picked up knocks in the recent 1-1 draw at Manchester City and have been sidelined ever since, although it’s hoped that both might be back by the end of this month.

At his press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the Reds manager was asked about the status of his squad ahead of tomorrow’s fixture in Yorkshire when he shared the latest on the aforementioned players.

Klopp told reporters [via liverpoolfc.com]: “[Jota] was running yesterday outside on his birthday. Everything is going in the right direction, but nobody told me he will be back in team training today. No, there is still some time. With Ali the same. Obviously Ali is closer but not available for tomorrow definitely.”

READ MORE: (Video) Jorginho thinks Liverpool have an ‘unbelievable’ player who’s even better than De Bruyne

READ MORE: (Video) Alternative angle of Mac Allister’s goal on Sunday makes it look even more stunning

There was never any realistic prospect of either Jota or Alisson recovering in time to face Sheffield United, although the update from Klopp does seem generally positive on both counts.

The 27-year-old’s absence has left Liverpool with just four senior forwards and therefore little scope for rotation during a hectic period of fixtures, while Caoimhin Kelleher is deputising in goal for the Brazilian but endured a rare off-day in the 4-3 win over Fulham at the weekend.

Everyone associated with the Reds will be yearning to have as full a squad as possible throughout the unrelenting December schedule, and our first-choice goalkeeper certainly seems on target to be back for the Manchester United game on Sunday week, as has been previously suggested.

Fingers crossed that both Jota and Alisson will continue to make good progress in their respective recoveries and that both will return to action as quickly as can realistically be hoped.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

The post ‘Going in the right direction…’ – Klopp issues injury update on Liverpool duo ahead of Sheff Utd appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jurgen Klopp has issued injury updates on Diogo Jota and Alisson Becker ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League clash against LASK on Thursday night.

The forward went off injured against Manchester City last weekend, while the goalkeeper was in visible discomfort towards the end of that match.

The Reds manager spoke to the media on Wednesday lunchtime ahead of the Austrians’ visit to Anfield, and he confirmed that the two players would be ruled out of that clash.

Klopp said of Alisson’s hamstring problem [via Liverpool Echo]: “Ali is a bit lesser, so we have to see. He cannot play tomorrow or Sunday, probably not the week after. [Then he] should be kind of okay.”

However, the update on Jota was less encouraging, with the Liverpool boss stating: “Diogo will take a little bit longer. We don’t know exactly, but it’s a bit more severe. We have to see.”

READ MORE: (Video) Dominik Szoboszlai’s eight-word mission shows that he means business at Liverpool

READ MORE: Keen on EPL move: Liverpool face added competition for £39m powerhouse enjoying incredible streak

The news on Alisson isn’t as damaging as first feared, with a possibility that Liverpool’s number one could be back fit for the visit of Manchester United to Anfield on 17 December.

He’s definitely out of tomorrow night’s match and will also be sidelined for the Premier League triple header against Fulham, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace next week.

Even if he’s fit by the time we play Union Saint-Gilloise two weeks from tomorrow, he surely won’t feature in what could hopefully be an inconsequential Europa League group game, with progress in the competition already secured.

Unfortunately it looks as if we won’t see Jota this side of the New Year, which’ll likely see a considerable deal of rotation between the other four senior forwards at Liverpool for the next month or so.

Squad management will be pivotal over the coming period, with nine matches between now and Boxing Day.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 13 Review : Trippier OUT & Zinchenko IN? Gordon the ultimate differential? Haaland & Salah must-haves

The post Jurgen Klopp confirms double Liverpool injury blow ahead of LASK game appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jurgen Klopp has said that Liverpool will have to ‘wait’ to discover the extent of the injuries incurred by Diogo Jota and Alisson Becker in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester City.

The Portuguese attacker was forced out of the game early in the second half with an apparent muscular injury, while the goalkeeper had a visible hamstring concern in stoppage time but battled on to the final whistle.

The Reds manager was asked about the pair after the match, and he was coy in his response about the two body blows.

Klopp said (via Liverpool World): “Ali felt something and Diogo felt something. It’s something that we have to assess.”

Speaking about Alisson’s injury in particular, the 56-year-old stated: “I have no clue where it’s coming from. Yes, it’s quite unusual but it happens. I hope it’s not that serious but I have no clue in the moment what it is. I spoke to him a bit but we have to wait for the scan.”

READ MORE: (Video) ‘Very close to me a lot…’ – Trent believes City had a clear ‘gameplan’ against Liverpool

READ MORE: (Video) ‘It’s always good…’ – Trent revels in his ‘funny’ celebration of Liverpool equaliser

Thankfully Liverpool don’t play again until Thursday night, but with eight more matches coming up in a 24-day period in December, the Reds can ill afford to be without two key first-team players in Jota and Alisson.

The latter was likely to be rested for the Europa League clash against LASK even had he come through today unscathed, but it’s a waiting game to see if he’ll have an extended spell on the sidelines.

The Brazilian will be a huge miss if he’s ruled out even for a month, but luckily we have a very capable backup in Caoimhin Kelleher ready and waiting to step in.

Klopp also faces a nervous wait as to the extent of Jota’s injury, with only four other senior forwards to call upon for the frantic December fixture schedule.

Fingers crossed that the pair haven’t been hit by serious blows, and that the Liverpool squad can come through the relentless pre-Christmas run-in without any major casualties.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 12 Review : Tsimikas benching frustration, Palmer bargain? Time to sell Heung-min Son?

The post Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool must ‘wait’ to discover extent of Jota and Alisson body blows appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Diogo Jota ensured that four Liverpool fans who attended the 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday would return home with a memory to treasure.

The 26-year-old rounded off the scoring as the Reds preserved their 100% home record this season, taking his tally for the campaign to eight goals (Transfermarkt), and he made the day even better for some supporters after the final whistle.

As seen in the latest instalment of Inside Anfield on LFC’s YouTube channel, the Portugal forward was partaking in post-match media duties when he encountered a quartet of fans holding a scarf representing the Toronto branch of the Official Liverpool Supporters’ Club.

Jota shook their hands in turn and gladly stepped in for a photo with the group, who naturally looked delighted with their encounter with the player.

So much for the mantra advising against meeting your heroes for fear of being disappointed!

You can view the exchange between Jota and the four fans below (from 14:10), via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

The post (Video) Diogo Jota gave four Liverpool fans a memory to treasure after latest Reds victory appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool had to wait until the 39th minute to break the deadlock against Brentford at Anfield on Sunday and despite not being involved in the build-up to the goal Diogo Jota celebrated like it was himself who found the back of the net.

It was Mo Salah who netted the first goal of the game with an emphatic finish after receiving the ball from Darwin Nunez in the area.

READ MORE: (Video) Virgil van Dijk’s performance against Brentford proves the Dutchman is back to his dominant best

But our No. 20, who would go on to get himself on the scoresheet with a delightful finish in the second half, was clearly delighted to see Egyptian King net his 11th goal of the season.

The Portugal international’s actions sum up the great team spirit that exists amongst Jurgen Klopp’s squad and long may that continue as we look to pick up more silverware under our German tactician this term.

Check the ex-Wolves man’s celebration below via @alexlfc27 on X:

Jota’s reaction, they are all invested this season pic.twitter.com/Fsh3VgsBqK

— Alex (@alexlfc27) November 13, 2023

Anfield Annals: Matt McQueen – the Anfield all-rounder who did everything in 36 years as a Red

The post (Video) Liverpool fans will love Diogo Jota’s reaction to Mo Salah’s opener against Brentford appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool fans were delighted to see our side record a much-needed victory against Brentford but it appears that Diogo Jota wasn’t best pleased for the full duration of the 90 minutes.

Writing for Sky Sports’ live blog of our match, Peter Smith reported: “It was interesting to see Jota’s reactions to those two speculative digs from Tsimikas and Gakpo in quick succession… he wasn’t impressed by the first one, when he was in a good position, and he definitely wasn’t happy to see the second crack either!

“He probably has a point – Liverpool need to have a bit more patience in their build-up.”

READ MORE: (Video) Luis Diaz handed brilliant reception on Anfield return after release of father

This was near the start of the second half of the match and with the scoreline at 1-0 to the Reds, it was an important time to try and build on our lead.

It appears then that our No.20 wasn’t best pleased with this erratic efforts at goal from Kostas Tsimikas and Cody Gakpo at the time.

Seeing as we went on to score twice more and that our Portuguese forward also got his name on the score-sheet, it’s safe to say his mood would have improved significantly.

READ MORE: (Video) Ex-Liverpool midfielder embraces his inner Xabi Alonso with extraordinary winning goal

This all just shows the elite winning mentality of the former Wolves man and this win-at-all-costs attitude is what will help us collect as many points as possible and keep pressure on the top of the league.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have yet to really click into top gear yet but we’re really in the mix for being title contenders.

As the wins keep coming and the performances stay at this level, there’s no reason why we can’t stay at the pinnacle for as long as possible this season.

Anfield Annals: Jimmy McInnes; Liverpool defender to club secretary to suicide on the Kop

The post Reporter: Jota furious with teammates during Brentford victory appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Diogo Jota scored a sublime goal to extend Liverpool’s lead during the second half of today’s Premier League clash against Brentford.

Mo Salah’s double had the Reds in a commanding position, and the Portugal winger put the result to bed in some style on 76 minutes.

Collecting the ball on the corner of the penalty area, the 26-year-old cut inside his nearest opponent and let fly with an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box which left Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken making a despairing dive in vain.

A superb finish which shows Liverpool’s number 20 at his finest!

You can view Jota’s goal below, taken from Viaplay Sports’ match coverage and shared on Twitter/X by @starsblls:

pic.twitter.com/VisJfOjIRa

— starsblls (@starsblls) November 12, 2023

The post (Video) Diogo Jota leaves Flekken despairing with outstanding strike to put Liverpool 3-0 ahead appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool dropped points for the first time in Europe this season as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat against Toulouse.

The Reds never really got going against the Ligue 1 outfit but were offered a slightly glimmer of hope when second half substitute Diogo Jota reduced the deficit in the final minute of normal time.

The Portugal international had only been on the pitch for eight minutes when he danced through the Toulouse defence to fire past the ‘keeper – this led to ex-Premier League forward Jay Bothrod describing our No. 20 as ‘underrated’.

“I keep getting it wrong! There’s light for Liverpool now,” he told Sky Sports (via The Boot Room) when Jota dragged Liverpool back into the game. “Another great goal. Jota was so direct, he’s glided past a defender and side-footed into the goal.

“That’s what they’ve been missing. I think Jota is underrated.”

READ MORE: Journo reveals what Jurgen Klopp had to do after post-match presser amid ‘chaotic’ scenes in Toulouse

Jota is a unique player. He’s not blessed with a serious amount of pace and is quite small in height compared to our other attacking options like Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, but the former Wolves man is such a clever player with the ball at his feet.

His goal last night means he now has seven goals in 15 appearances (across all competitions) and will be in with a shout to start against Brentford on Sunday.

The 26-year-old often drifts in and out of the game but if he’s given a chance he’s one of the most clinical finishes in our squad.

We are blessed with a lot of talent in the attacking department at the moment but Diogo is a vital player for the club and that shouldn’t be forgotten.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 11 Review : The Fantasy week from HELL, the Doku & Jackson show & xG paying off

The post Pundit says ‘underrated’ Liverpool ace is what Klopp’s side were ‘missing’ against Toulouse appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

It may have come too late for Liverpool at the time of writing, though Diogo Jota showed his ruthless streak once again with a well-taken effort in France.

The Portuguese international replaced Luis Diaz late on against Toulouse and made his presence felt after gliding through the pitch.

It takes the former Wolves man’s tally up to seven goals in 15 appearances for the Merseysiders this season.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of TNT Sports:

Diogo Jota pulls another back for Liverpool!

Not long left in the game for Jurgen Klopp's men…#UEL pic.twitter.com/POUPT5kEDn

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 9, 2023

The post (Video) Diogo Jota fires in breathtaking finish past Toulouse to give Liverpool late hope appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Neil Jones has shared a remarkable statistic which synopsises just how strong a season Liverpool are enjoying so far.

Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez were on target in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup win at Bournemouth, in the process bringing the collective goal tally of the Reds’ five senior attackers to 30 by 1st November.

That fact wasn’t lost on the journalist, who posted a link to his post-Cherries match analysis to his personal Substack page via Twitter/X with the caption: “Liverpool’s five senior forwards now have 30 goals between them this season. Such attacking prowess means that anything feels possible at the moment…”.

Liverpool's five senior forwards now have 30 goals between them this season.

Such attacking prowess means that anything feels possible at the moment…#LFC https://t.co/ajKmX730Cz pic.twitter.com/gyJ8Dq18Om

— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) November 2, 2023

READ MORE: (Video) Darwin Nunez evoked uncanny Luis Suarez parallels with Carabao Cup screamer last night

READ MORE: ‘Devastating…’ – Gary Lineker names the iconic Liverpool goal which left him dejected

Following last night’s match, the scoring figures for Liverpool’s senior front five read as follows: Mo Salah 10, Nunez 7, Diogo Jota 6, Gakpo 4 and Luis Diaz 3 (Transfermarkt).

While some may look at the return of six from the rest of the squad combined as a concern (Transfermarkt), ultimately it’s the attackers who you want to see leading the charge in that respect, and the Reds’ forwards have all risen to the fore.

If anything, the quintet should’ve reached the 30 mark even sooner, when you consider the shambles over Diaz’s wrongly disallowed goal at Tottenham and Nunez’s extraordinary miss against Toulouse last week.

For comparison, Manchester City’s senior forwards have 25 goals combined this season, Arsenal 21, Spurs 12, Chelsea 11 and Manchester United a paltry six (Transfermarkt).

Every Premier League manager (maybe even Pep Guardiola) must look at Jurgen Klopp’s attacking options and wish they had such a devastating pick at their own clubs. At this rate, Liverpool’s front five could easily break the 100-goal barrier between them by the end of the campaign.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Andre ticks a box, Liverpool have a ‘real top player’ with Kevin De Bruyne gift, unfair treatment of Nunez and much more!

The post ‘Anything feels possible’ – Neil Jones shares extraordinary stat about Liverpool’s season so far appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Diogo Jota may, at times, be regarded as Liverpool’s fourth-choice attacker behind Darwin Nunez, Mo Salah and Luis Diaz, though his contributions continue to be vital to the club’s success.

Pep Lijnders rightly pointed out the Portuguese international’s prolific nature and his ability to set the tone with the opening goal.

“Jota, we can say a lot. He is the same as Darwin [Nunez], he is one who creates by himself five or six chances a game,” the former NEC boss spoke in his pre-match press conference (via liverpoolfc.com) ahead of a Carabao Cup tie with Bournemouth. “What I like about Jota as well, he scores a lot of goals but it’s a lot of times the first one, and that’s the hardest one to score. That says a lot about Jots.”

The former Wolves attacker was on target once again in an impressive display against league strugglers Nottingham Forest as the Reds swept aside their opponents by three goals without reply.

READ MORE: Liverpool player’s seven-month injury hell finally over; could play next week

READ MORE: Liverpool contact fan over flag confiscation error during Nottingham Forest clash

An underrated player? No doubt about that

With six goal contributions in 12 games (across all competitions) this term (one goal or assist every 117.5 minutes) there’s no question that Jota is underrated.

Since the ill-fated 2022/23 campaign, only Darwin Nunez (15) and Mo Salah (29) have scored more league goals than the 26-year-old (13) from our current crop of forwards.

If he can replicate the kind of performance delivered against Steve Cooper’s men on a regular basis, one might imagine Jurgen Klopp will find it quite the headache selecting his first-XI moving forward.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Andre ticks a box, Liverpool have a ‘real top player’ with Kevin De Bruyne gift, unfair treatment of Nunez and much more!

The post ‘We can say a lot’: Pep Lijnders points out telling reality about 26-year-old Liverpool player appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez’s relationship on the pitch has evolved into something truly productive for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

The pair combined brilliantly for the Reds’ opener, with the former slipping in the Uruguayan into the box who proceeded to fire a stinging effort at the hands of Matt Turner, who duly palmed it into the path of a lurking Diogo Jota.

Interestingly, the Egyptian first acknowledged our £64m signing’s contribution in the matter, running over for a high-five and a quick embrace as the Portuguese international raced over to the touchline for a touching tribute to Luis Diaz.

It’s a telling sign of just how well the two are enjoying each other’s company on the pitch and it can only mean positive things for Liverpool’s goal tally going forward!

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of Liverpool’s YouTube channel (from 6:59):

The post (Video) Fans may have missed telling sign from what Salah does immediately after Jota goal vs Forest appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Neil Jones has singled out one Liverpool player for praise who’s ‘been a big plus’ for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season and is ‘approaching his best form’.

With all the garlands heaped upon Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez, fellow attacker Diogo Jota has perhaps been overlooked for what he’s contributed this term, with his tally of six goals equal to the Uruguayan and bettered only by the mercurial Egyptian at Anfield (Transfermarkt).

The 26-year-old opened the scoring in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday and, having missed four months of last season through injury, he’s made up for lost time since his comeback in the spring.

In his latest Empire of the Kop Substack column, Jones said of the Portugal forward: “When he came back and got those two goals against Leeds [in April], I think only Salah has scored more goals for Liverpool since. So that tells you he’s back to something approaching his best form.”

The journalist added: “He’s been a big plus for Liverpool this season. To be fair, there have been a lot of big pluses for Liverpool so far, but Jota being available, fit and scoring is definitely a huge one.

“You think about some of the games Liverpool have coming up… there are some big ones after the international break and none bigger than the first one against Manchester City. I’d expect Diogo Jota to be in the starting lineup if fit.”

READ MORE: Neil Jones noticed something about Szoboszlai before Liverpool v Forest which was De Bruyne-esque

READ MORE: Ex-Man Utd midfielder believes Liverpool could win the league if they sign 28y/o colossus

Having started only half of Liverpool’s Premier League matches so far this season (Transfermarkt), the Reds’ number 20 hasn’t exactly been the first name on Klopp’s team sheet since the start of the campaign.

That makes his return of six goals from 12 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt) look even better, with the frightening level of competition in our attack precluding Jota from nailing down a starting berth.

While at times he can seem peripheral in games, he has that enviable knack of popping up in key moments to plunder significant goals for LFC, with his dramatic winner in the 4-3 defeat of Tottenham six months ago perhaps the prime example of that.

As Jones says, when it comes to potentially season-defining showdowns such as the Man City clash on 25 November, the 26-year-old’s penchant for big moments could well see him get the nod to start from Klopp.

Jota’s importance to Liverpool could be even more pronounced when Salah goes to the Africa Cup of Nations early next year, and history suggests that the Portuguese attacker could make the most of that potential opportunity.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Andre ticks a box, Liverpool have a ‘real top player’ with Kevin De Bruyne gift, unfair treatment of Nunez and much more!

The post ‘He’s been a big plus…’ – Neil Jones hails Liverpool maestro who’s ‘approaching his best form’ appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Diogo Jota has revealed that Luis Diaz was in line to start for Liverpool in Sunday’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest until learning of his parents’ kidnapping.

The South American’s mother and father were taken captive in their native Colombia over the weekend, which understandably led to the 26-year-old taking no part in today’s fixture at Anfield.

However, his teammates ensured that the forward was foremost in their thoughts with a gesture just after the first of the Reds’ three goals.

As Jota ran to the touchline following his opener, a shirt was tossed to him which was then held aloft by the Portuguese winger to reveal ‘Diaz 7’ on the back, in a touching show of solidarity.

READ MORE: 93% pass success, 4 duels won – Liverpool titan treated Anfield to a ‘masterclass’ v Forest

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the match, Liverpool’s number 20 admitted he wasn’t originally intended to start against Forest, revealing: “Luis was with us in the hotel then he went home. It’s a very hard situation and I don’t know how anyone would react if it happened to you.

“He was going to play. I played instead of him and I showed him his shirt to show we’re with him and we hope everything works out.

“It’s unimaginable to think a situation like this could happen. We can just support him and show him we’re with him.”

READ MORE: (Video) Mo Salah inevitably on target again as Liverpool seize upon Nottingham Forest howler

Amid the satisfaction of this afternoon’s result, it comes amid the perspective of a far more serious issue having arisen with the kidnapping in Colombia.

Luis Diaz’s teammates paid him the best possible tribute by securing three points in his absence and taking the opportunity to show that they’re supporting him throughout this incredibly harrowing ordeal.

We continue to pray that both of his parents will return home safely, something which is much more important than the outcome of a football match.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

The post Luis Diaz was set to start for Liverpool today before news of parents’ kidnapping appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Diogo Jota fired Liverpool into the lead just after the half-hour mark in today’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest, and he then displayed a heartfelt tribute to Luis Diaz.

The 26-year-old was on hand to steer the ball home after Darwin Nunez’s initial shot was saved by Matt Turner, who could only divert it straight to the Portuguese attacker, who finally made the home side’s dominance count – they had 80% possession in the first 10 minutes and 75% coming up to half-time.

As Jota ran to celebrate the goal, he held aloft a Reds shirt with the Colombian’s name and number in a show of solidarity with our number 7, whose parents were kidnapped in his homeland over the weekend.

It was a beautiful touch from his teammate.

You can view Jota’s goal below, via @brishball on Twitter/X:

pic.twitter.com/gKI3ssRT1K

— bobfoot (@brishball) October 29, 2023

Jota holds Luis Diaz's shirt in celebration!! Love that pic.twitter.com/uSFMYJtZBw

— A (@titiigoles) October 29, 2023

The post (Video) Diogo Jota pounces to put dominant Liverpool in front; pays tribute to Luis Diaz appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.