Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp spoke to the media ahead of his side’s away trip to Toulouse on Wednesday, November 9th at 17:45 PM (UK time).
The German revealed that captain Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch didn’t travel with the group to France due to a minor illness for the centre back while the midfielder suffered a knock to his knee.
“Virgil is a little bit ill,” Klopp confirmed to the media. “Not a big thing but we didn’t want to have him and maybe some others have it as well. He should be alright for the weekend. Ryan got a niggle on the knee – running already, no chance this game, maybe Brentford, definitely after.”
Klopp has usually used the Europa League as a competition where he could give valuable minutes to some players in the squad who don’t usually start in the Premier League as well as an opportunity for youngsters coming through the academy.
However, the manager said he’ll field a “strong team” on Thursday night. “All the games we’ve played are really lively, we got more fluent, always [pick] a team that is ready to go, we already had a lot of games this season, we will make changes, you have to count tomorrow, there will be a few probably, it’ll be a strong team.”
Liverpool have won all three group stage games as a victory away to Toulouse would confirm the Premier League side’s passage into the knockout stages with two games to spare.
Klopp spoke about the importance of qualifying as quick as possible as he admitted that it was their plan to do just that. “It was always the plan to progress as quickly as possible,” he stated. “We will make changes, but it will be a strong team and we will go for it. We just want to win football games, and for that you need fresh legs.”
One player almost certain to start – especially with the admission of Van Dijk – is Jarell Quansah whose been a revelation this season. Klopp has heaped praise on the 20-year-old several times during the season and didn’t waste time to do it again during his pre-match press conference.
“He showed from the first day of pre season how good of a player he is, and how good he will be. It’s great to have a boy from our own academy with that potential. It’s really promising. Very good on the ball, aggressive, he has everything you need.”
A Europa League trophy is the only piece of silverware missing from Jürgen Klopp’s trophy cabinet at Liverpool and he’s surely motivated to add the missing piece to the puzzle.
