ANFIELD BOSS LOSES HIS ‘BRAIN’ AS BUVAC DEPARTS SUDDENLY

LIVERPOOL’S preparations for their Champions League showdown in Rome have been rocked by the sudden departure of assistant manager Željko Buvac. Jurgen Klopp told his squad on Sunday morning that Buvac, who has been his assistant for 17 years, had taken a leave of absence from Anfield and would not report back for the rest of the season. The club have put the dramatic departure down to ‘personal reasons’. Buvac (pictured), who has four years left on the long-term deal he signed in 2016, remains employed by the club. Liverpool insist there is a chance that Buvac will come back to work at the end of the season, but the timing of his exit raises questions about whether he will return. There is no indication that Klopp and Buvac have had a bust-up. But the Bosnian-Serb has become a more distant figure at the club’s Melwood training ground. Such was the importance that Klopp placed on Buvac, he was referred to as ‘The Brain’ for the input he had into tactics and training and it remains to be seen whether the 56-year-old will turn up at another club in Europe. There was speculation yesterday that he could go back to Borussia Dortmund — where he and Klopp won the Bundesliga twice — but Lucien Favre remains favourite for that job. No decision has been made about what will happen should Buvac not come back. There is no prospect of Steven Gerrard — currently in talks with Rangers about becoming the next manager at Ibrox — being promoted from the Under-18s. Klopp’s immediate priority is finalising preparations for tomorrow’s semi-final second leg in Rome. Liverpool hold a 5-2 advantage from the first leg. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah looks unlikely to face disciplinary action for his clash with Stoke City’s Bruno Martins Indi at the weekend. The Liverpool forward flicked an arm out at the Potters defender off the ball during Saturday’s goalless draw at Anfield, but the incident was not seen by referee Andre Marriner. A three-man panel of ex-referees reviewed the incident and decided it did not qualify as an act of violent conduct. Salah, the Premier League’s top scorer this term, could have been looking at a three-match ban from the Football Association had they decided differently. He is now available to face Chelsea on Sunday and Brighton in Liverpool’s final league fixture of the season on May 13.