Here are your Liverpool morning headlines for Friday, November 20.
Jurgen Klopp claims six managers have changed minds on subs issue
As discussions continue over a potential return to five substitutes for Premier League games, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp claims six top-flight managers have changed their mind on the issue.
Teams were permitted to use five substitutes per game after Project Restart in June, but the league reverted to three subs for the start of the 2020/21 season.
However, with other European leagues and Uefa competitions still permitting five replacements per game, Klopp has made his position clear .
"Before the season, some people thought it would be an advantage for us, the people who said we should stick to five substitutions," Klopp told Jamie Redknapp for the Daily Mail , following a meeting between Premier League managers during the week.
"But it was never — and I can promise you this, I’m a Christian — it was not for one second about having an advantage.
"All the other countries did it. Italy — Juventus, Inter Milan, they have the biggest squads, but still the other clubs said, ‘We need five subs.’
"Yesterday six managers changed their minds. We need it. For the players, not the clubs. December and January in a normal season is brutal."
Klopp spoke of the need to get broadcasters around the table to ensure players get sufficient recovery time in a season which has seen a number of stars from Liverpool and other clubs suffer injuries during a congested schedule.
Liverpool midfielders face race against time for Leicester City match
Liverpool have a big game ahead of them this weekend, taking on Leicester City in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash.
Jurgen Klopp’s side can leapfrog the league leaders with a victory on Sunday night but could go into the game without some key midfield men .
Thiago and Fabinho have both been out of action since October, and this game may come too early for them, but both were spotted at the AXA Training Centre during the week - with the Brazilian seen hard at work in the gym.
There is greater optimism over Jordan Henderson, despite the captain pulling out of the England squad, but Joe Gomez and Mohamed Salah are both out of commission due to a knee injury and a positive Coronavirus test respectively.
Elsewhere, Virgil van Dijk, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all sidelined, while Neco Williams - a potential replacement for Alexander-Arnold at right-back - is a possible doubt after picking up a foot problem on Wales duty.
Klopp knows how to address the threat of Leicester’s Jamie Vardy
Liverpool will be forced to field a makeshift defence against Leicester on Sunday due to a number of injuries, and Foxes striker Jamie Vardy will smell blood.
Vardy is the joint-highest scorer in the Premier League this term, scoring eight times in seven appearances, and has enjoyed success against the Reds in the past.
However, Jurgen Klopp’s side kept him from scoring in both meetings last season, and the Liverpool boss will feel he knows how to silence the prolific striker.
While Vardy has enjoyed playing against bigger teams at the King Power Stadium, he has often been more isolated at Anfield, managing just five shots in 494 minutes on the pitch.
We have taken a deeper look at the stats behind Vardy’s performances, both in last season’s trip to Anfield and in a wider Premier League sense, to get a feel for how Klopp’s side have been successful in keeping him quiet.
With an unfamiliar back four due to line up against the Foxes on Sunday, the home side will know what they need to do.
