Klopp’s injury problems continued with Martin Skrtel’s hamstring strain last week, but, in Skrtel’s absence, Dejan Lovren returned ahead of schedule from a knee problem, was shifted to the right of central defence alongside Mamadou Sakho and produced a commanding display to repel Leicester’s late rally.
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Suns’ Eric Bledsoe to miss rest of season
Bledsoe can be the Suns’ best backcourt defender, although at times during the recent troubles he has not shown it. The Suns will need to tighten up there; that would have been their charge even with Bledsoe.
Klopp confirmed that James Milner (calf) was still a week away from a first-team return and there was no update on the scan results for Divock Origi (hamstring), although Jordon Ibe is back in training after an illness. “He says this, you ask him, and he says he’s good”. That was really good, I’m really satisfied. But he has to train. We want to develop, get more points in this very, very important moment in the league. He has to train now.
Man City’s Kompany out for at least a month – Pellegrini
The draw means Leicester have lost just twice this term as they bounced back well from their loss at Liverpool to underline their credentials.
“You could see against Leicester that I showed I understand his message and now I have to keep going like that”, Benteke said.
Aylan Kurdi’s relatives arrive in Canada
Kurdi’s brother Mohammad, his wife Ghouson Dakouri and their five children touched down Monday at Vancouver International Airport. The brother and sister are planning to work together at Tima Kurdi’s new hair salon in Port Coquitlam, B.C., Kurdi Hair Design.
“They will go back to their roots – we know what is waiting for us”. You can not say ‘let’s work on possession play, let’s work on pressing, let’s work on counter-pressing, let’s work on simple whatever…
Having come through the academy at his hometown club, then moving to Liverpool and playing for England, I hope the present young players at Sunderland are at the match and watching him to see what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.
“Klopp said that he was happy with Benteke’s form, despite the 25-year-old Belgian striker starting on the bench against both Watford and Leicester”.
“But for me, he gets better and better”.
Rare cause for joy in the Liverpool strike force: Christian Benteke celebrating scoring the winning solitary goal on Boxing Day against then-championship leading Leicester City.
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The German has warned Benteke that he needs to do more for the team if he is to have a long-term place in his plans. The former Borussia Dortmund manager is so anxious about his development that he does not want to see him in training, as it raises expectations in the squad and calls for inducting him into the first team sooner than expected. We have to use his natural skills and he has to try to be more involved in the game. “In the end, a striker has to make goals – everybody knows this – but there are more times in a game when we need him, for defending set plays with his big quality and offensive set plays with his big quality”.
