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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
David Lynch

Joel Matip explains what it's like to face Diogo Jota in Liverpool training

Diogo Jota's 'extra quality' has helped make training even more challenging for Liverpool's defenders, Joel Matip has revealed.

The Portuguese has enjoyed a stunning start to his Anfield career since arriving in a £45m deal from Wolves over the summer.

In heading home against Leicester City on Sunday, Jota extended his record for the Reds to eight goals in just 12 appearances.

And he is also having a major impact on the training field according to Matip, who believes facing up against so many talented forwards on a daily basis has helped improve his own game.

"He brought extra quality but we have a lot of quality in our team," the defender said.

"Every training is a challenge, especially for a defender, and you can improve. It's a challenge you enjoy, to play against the best players, even in training.

"It helps everybody to be the best and improve. I think this is the way we've been going the last few years and it's been going good so far."

With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez having both sustained long-term injuries in recent weeks, Matip's importance to Jurgen Klopp has only grown.

But he is confident that he, along with the help of his teammates, can step up to the plate and keep the Reds' trophy hopes on track.

He continued: "Players like them, every team would miss but every player has to step in and we have a lot of games so there will probably be a few changes over the weeks.

"But we are feeling good and we have to perform with the players that are there. I have self-confidence and I am confident in my teammates that we can perform at the best level we can.

"I always try to play my part and try to be the best player I can be. If I can help some players at the moment more then, of course, I would really like to do this.

"But we have a team with a lot of great players and everybody tries to help each other. If I can step in and help more then I would be really thankful for this."

If the centre-back is to remain a key figure going forward, he must avoid the niggling injuries that have plagued him in recent seasons.

On that topic, he added: "The medical department always try to improve things and we are working on different things but sometimes you don't have that much influence on it.

"We're working hard to keep every player as fit as possible, including me. I'm hoping and looking forward to playing as much as possible and staying fit."

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