Liverpool 'confirm' one starter against Atalanta - and it might be a bit of a surprise

Jurgen Klopp has insisted that Liverpool’s ambitions of winning the Europa League remain as strong as ever.

The Reds head into tonight’s quarter-final second leg against Atalanta trailing 3-0 on aggregate after a shock defeat at Anfield last week. It means Klopp’s troops are the firm underdogs to reach the last four and will have to produce another famous European comeback in Italy.

Meanwhile, Liverpool remain in the Premier League title race and sit just two points behind Manchester City with six games remaining. Any slip-up from the current champions and Arsenal means the Reds could capitalise and regain the lead at the summit.

But Klopp is adamant that the Reds are still going to do their utmost best to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League. The Liverpool boss said at his pre-match press conference: “One hundred per cent. We are here. I am long enough in this business to know it is two legs and it is over when it's over. As far as I know, we are still allowed to play tomorrow so that is what we will try, that means it has our 100,000 per cent focus.

“We are only here for one reason – I am pretty sure this is a wonderful region but we did not even look [at it]. We are only here for playing football, that's what I can say. But I cannot win this game in this press conference today, that's why I am not really interested in what you are asking and what I am answering as well because the main part is obviously when I leave this room, finally, it starts. But we are 100 per cent focused.”

It appears that Klopp will name a strong side against Atalanta - and that Alisson Becker is in line to start. The No.1 goalkeeper returned from a two-month lay-off from a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace. Caoimhin Kelleher deputised while Alisson was on the sidelines and earned plenty of plaudits.

Kelleher has featured in every Europa League game this season bar one, which was a 2-0 group-stage win over Royal Union Saint-Gilloise because of injury. The Republic of Ireland international had conversations with Klopp about his future last summer and it appeared along with the Carabao Cup that he’d been assigned Europa League responsibilities.

But Alisson was on pre-match media duties along with the Liverpool boss which suggests that he’ll be between the posts. On the game, the Brazilian said: “Of course losing 3-0 at home is something that we cannot accept as LFC players. We have to improve our performances, of course, but if I would be more precise on the things we have to do better, it is we have to go back to keeping clean sheets and try to score the chances that we have, the clear chances that we have in front of the goal.

“I am saying that because I trust my strikers a lot, I trust my defenders a lot and I know the quality that we have as a team.

“So if we do that as a team, defend as a team, attack as a team, improving these kind of things then I think we can go back to winning games.”