Pundit Simon Jordan has slammed Jurgen Klopp after the Liverpool manager's comments about the physicality of the Merseyside derby and his dislike towards the fixture against Everton.
Virgil van Dijk, Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi are among the players that have suffered serious injuries against the Blues, with Van Dijk's injury in this fixture last year being season-ending.
“It is a shame that I have to mention that, but we were the fairest team in England and, most of the time, the fairest team in Europe in the last five years,” Klopp said ahead of the derby.
“You want to win the ball in the right way and you want to play it from there. We play football. We are still an emotional team but you have to use the emotion in the right way.”
Jordan, however, believes the physicality is part of the game and branded the German's comments as 'flaky'.
"I find myself looking at Klopp and going ‘I don’t know, it sounds a bit flaky,'" he said on talkSPORT.
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"It’s a big game, a Merseyside derby. If you can’t have a bit of blood and passion in one of the biggest games in English football…..really?
"You cannot take the heat out of a game like this because the fans provided the heat and the players will react to it.
"The referees are perfectly capable of refereeing this game without guidance from Jurgen Klopp."
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Defender Van Dijk was on the receiving end of a strong challenge from Everton keeper Jordan Pickford in October last year.
The Dutchman suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury as a result of the tackle and was out of action for nine months.
He'll now return to Goodison Park for the first time since the 2-2 draw as the Reds look to close the gap on Chelsea and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, with Everton hoping to turn their form around after a poor run.
