Lukaku ready to do battle with ’Pool in heated derby

The eyes of the footballing world will be on Old Trafford tomorrow lunchtime as Jurgen Klopp’s swashbuckling third-place side head to their second-place rivals.

Much has been spoken about Liverpool’s potent attack in the build-up but United boast threats of their own and a front man coming into form as the season reaches a conclusion.

Lukaku took his tally for the season to 23 in Monday’s remarkable 3-2 comeback win at Crystal Palace but believes he offers far more than goals to Mourinho and the team.

“It’s been really good,” the Belgium striker said when asked about linking up again with his former Chelsea boss in the summer. “But I think he knows that I have like a soldier mentality.

“I think the work rate that I am delivering to the team is a lot.

“I think the manager in his mind thinks that I’m like his sergeant on the pitch — and that’s strange for a striker because it’s normally always the midfielders.

“However, he knows he can come to me whenever and knows I will always put the team first ahead of myself.

“And that’s something I told him. I said, ‘for me, the team is the most important thing’.

“My desire to win is bigger than ever now since I came to this club, because I always wanted to win, I always wanted to chase trophies.

“I always put that in front of my personal objectives and he knows that.

“I think that’s the reason why I’m playing all the time.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren is hoping to come up against Lukaku again at Old Trafford.

Although the defender insists their clash at Anfield, when he claimed the United striker stamped on him, remains in the past.

“It is over. There is another game,” Lovren said.

“I enjoy playing against big top strikers and the biggest challenge for me is when you have Mo Salah and Sadio Mane at the training ground and then you know what you are.

“Definitely Lukaku is one of the best strikers in the Premier League, he’s showed that many times.”

ROMELU Lukaku is ready to continue as Jose Mourinho’s “sergeant on the pitch” as Manchester United prepare to do battle with rivals Liverpool.