Klopp hopeful EPL can avoid a COVID-19 circuit break

Reuters Videos
Updated

VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCES WITH LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP AND NEWCASTLE UNITED MANAGER, STEVE BRUCE, FILE FOOTAGE OF VIRGIL VAN DIJK, RECENT FOOTAGE OF LIVERPOOL TRAINING

SHOWS:

NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 30, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING:

"So I'm not a specialist, you all know that. We all tried to do our best to keep the competition going. I think it works well. I think everybody… we knew, we knew before that the winter will be probably would be a second wave or something; however you want to call that. And on top of that for us as a society Christmas is a challenge when it's about self-isolation, stuff like this. So, I'm not surprised at the numbers go up but… and that that happens in football as well; the numbers go slightly up I think that's, yeah… It's understandable but we still try all to do everything to keep the boys safe as possible. I think the competition can go on but I'm not because and I think it's important as well because people want to watch it and we are in this case not part of the society we won't be usually live isolated go to the training ground and stuff like this. So, I think really we can carry on but I'm not a specialist and I respect all the decisions made in the next few weeks

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEWCASTLE UNITED MANAGER, STEVE BRUCE, SAYING:

"Well look with the Premier League and the protocols that's been put in place have no doubt worked fantastically well and everybody's tried to adhere to them as best they can and of course where I'm witness to it of how quickly this thing can grab a hold of any environment the way it did with us. You know we've been going along very nicely for month after month after month and then all of a sudden we have one or two then two becomes eight and then eight becomes 12, 12 becomes 18 in a short period of time. So, you know, I'm no scientist or doctor but I think we're going to have to monitor it and be sensible about it because if the trend in the Premier League starts to rise and I really, really hope that people can understand that when it strikes a footballer yes the vast majority of them it just washes over them; we've got one or two which are still struggling with it and we've got one or two players who are playing who are still not 100% and I've got staff who have been really sick with it so we have to have the welfare of the players first. So, if doctors or specialists or Health England think that that's a good idea then I'll go with the advice. I mean I understand that football gives everybody something to watch but we have to think of the well-being of the players and the staff who, you know, in this awful time take the brunt of it."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. VARIOUS OF LIVERPOOL DEFENDER, VIRGIL VAN DIJK AT TRAINING SESSION

5. LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, AT TRAINING SESSION

NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 30, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING:

"Good, very good and I have no problem talking about Virgil van Dijk. So, it's very good but still a long way to go; that's this kind of injury. So, yeah I'm happy when I see these videos to be honest because it just shows that he makes good progress but it will still take a lot of time. That's how it is. I would like to say something else but these are the facts unfortunately."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 8, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

7. LIVERPOOL STRIKERS, ROBERTO FIRMINO (NUMBER 9 / WOOLLY HAT), DIOGO JOTA (NUMBER 20), AND MIDFIELDER, ALEX OXLADE CHAMBERLAIN (NUMBER 15), AMONG PLAYERS WARMING UP AT TRAINING SESSION

8. LIVERPOOL STRIKER, SADIO MANE (NUMBER 10), TRAINING

9. LIVERPOOL MIDFIELDER, FABINHO (NUMBER 3) WARMING UP

10. LIVERPOOL STRIKER, MOHAMED SALAH (NUMBER 11) TRAINING

11. LIVERPOOL MIDFIELDER AND CAPTAIN, JORDAN HENDERSON (NUMBER 14) TRAINING

STORY: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he is hopeful that soccer in England will not be forced to stop due to the rising numbers of positive COVID-19 cases in the UK.

Fulham's trip to Tottenham Hotspur was called off hours before kickoff on Wednesday with the club reporting several positive coronavirus tests, and an outbreak at Manchester City caused their game at Everton on Monday to be called off.

Several managers have suggested a pause would take the pressure off clubs, but the Premier League says it has no plans to do so.

As of Thursday (December 31) none of the Premier League clubs were allowed to have fans at home matches as all of the 20 grounds were located in either Tiers 3 or 4.

Klopp told reporters after his side's 1-1 draw away to Newcastle United on Wednesday that he believes the Premier League's protocols are effective and they will do everything to keep the league going but added they'd respect any decisions made by the government and the league.

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce said after the Liverpool match that he thinks the situation should be monitored closely and players' health shouldn't be taken for granted.

Newcastle had an outbreak in their squad and staff in early December which forced the club to close their training ground and postpone their match against Aston Villa. Bruce said he still had a couple of players and members the staff who weren't feeling 100% having tested positive for the virus.

Last season's Premier League season resumed without fans in June after a three-month suspension with Operation Restart deemed a success as clubs avoided major outbreaks.

But the move into winter has proved more challenging.

The Premier League said on Tuesday that 18 individuals had tested positive for the new coronavirus, the most in a week this season, with bottom club Sheffield United also reporting a number of new cases.

Meanwhile, Liverpool continue to prepare for their Premier League match away to Southampton on Monday (January 4) but they're still be without former Saints defender, Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutch defender posted a video of himself training on a gym on Wednesday as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.

Klopp told reporters it was great to see Van Dijk's progress but said the defender was still a long way being fully fit. The former Celtic defender is expected to miss most if not the remainder of the season.

(Production: Tim Hart)