Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders has returned a postive Covid test, meaning Wednesday’s pre-match press conference has now been cancelled.
The club had already been forced to cancel Tuesday’s training after a number of players and staff returned positive tests, leading to them requesting a postponement for Thursday’s League Cup semi-final first-leg at Arsenal.
The Football League have yet to approve the request, leaving the club and travelling supporters in limbo.
Lijnders took control of the match at Chelsea on Sunday, when Jurgen Klopp plus all three of the club’s senior goalkeeper coaches were isolating with Covid.
In addition, Joel Matip, Alisson and Roberto Firmino remain in isolation.
Liverpool are also without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita due to the AFCON, plus injured players Thiago, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino, Harvey Elliott and Nat Phillips.
A statement on Wednesday morning confirmed that “Lijnders’ test result comes in addition to a number of suspected positive cases among players and football staff recorded earlier on Tuesday, which forced the cancellation of the day’s scheduled training session.”
Lijnders and whoever else tested positive on Tuesday will now have to isolate for seven days, meaning they would miss Thursday’s match at Arsenal and Sunday’s scheduled FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury on Sunday.
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