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LEICESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday, December 28, 2021: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp wearing a mask during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Liverpool FC at the King Power Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Jurgen Klopp to miss Chelsea game after positive COVID test

Jurgen Klopp will not be present at Stamford Bridge on Sunday after returning a positive Covid test, the club confirmed on Saturday.

Liverpool travels to the capital on Sunday for a must-win clash against Chelsea and after the manager confirmed he is to already be without three first-team players, he too will now miss the game.

The manager and three other backroom staff members have returned positive tests to take the club’s current cases to seven within the last few days.

Pep Lijnders will be taking over the managerial duties for Sunday’s game and in all likelihood the first leg of the League Cup semi-final at Arsenal on January 6 with Klopp only able to leave isolation after seven days.

The club did confirm that at this stage there are “no further positive cases within the playing squad in addition to the three confirmed by Klopp on Friday.”

Those players remain unnamed but the absence of both Alisson and Roberto Firmino from training on Thursday suggests they are two possible absentees due to the virus.

Liverpool have not asked for the game to be postponed.

Who we know will be missing at Chelsea

Due to Covid: Klopp + three senior players (Alisson and Firmino believed to account for two)

Injured: Thiago, Minamino, Origi, Phillips, Elliott