REDS REELING FROM COVID BUT THE SHOW WILL GO ON

Simon Mullock

COVID-HIT Liverpool do not know how many senior players will be available to face Shrewsbury – or if boss Jurgen Klopp will be on the touchline.

The Reds are still reeling from an outbreak that forced the cancellation of the Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal last Thursday.

Coach Peter Krawietz admitted the squad could change from hour to hour after they were forced to close their training complex.

And he revealed that while Klopp is feeling well again after a Covid bout kept him away from last Sunday’s draw at Chelsea, he needs to test negative before he can confirm his presence at Anfield.

Krawietz said: “I can’t tell our exact numbers, but we have a team and we can play and try to win the game.

“It is very difficult because we have had a couple of injuries as well as Covid cases and we still have to wait for a few results. We hope Jurgen will be back.

“He is well so far, he feels fine. But he has to do tests as well.”

Liverpool hope Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Roberto Firmino will also test negative after catching the virus.

But they have been forced to recall Leighton Clarkson from his loan at

Blackburn and fellow academy graduates Tyler Morton, Conor Bradley and Kaide Gordon are also in the frame to start.

Pep Lijnders took the reins at Chelsea but has now been laid low by illness, leaving Krawietz to organise training.

Krawietz added: “The training ground is closed, so it is a bit like how we trained during the lockdown period a year or so ago.

“The ones who could go outside could go for a run. For the players who had to quarantine at home, we gave them individual programmes day by day.”