Harvey Elliott surgery update and other key takeaways from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool presser ahead of AC Milan

Jurgen Klopp has addressed the media ahead of Liverpool’s 2021-22 Champions League campaign getting under way against AC Milan at Anfield tomorrow night (20.00 BST).

Here’s what the Reds boss had to say during his press conference.

Elliott update

Harvey Elliott suffered a sickening ankle injury in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Leeds.

The 18-year-old is set to be sidelined for the long term and is due to have surgery in London today.

Klopp said: “I have spoken to Harvey the night after the game already and he wasn’t in the best possible place.

“He took it already, he accepted it already and knew he was going to be out for a while.

“Today he is in London and, as far as I know, will probably have surgery then he’ll be on the way back.

“We all wait for news after the surgery and that’s it.”

A daunting but exciting group

Liverpool have been drawn in Group B in the Champions League and it couldn’t be much tougher.

They’re pitched in with La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, last season’s Serie A runners-up AC Milan and Porto, who finished second in Portugal.

It’s the proverbial ‘Group of Death’ but Klopp is relishing the competition.

He said: “When we all saw that group, not one of us thought: ‘Wow what a great group’.

“It’s difficult. It’s a tough group, we don’t have to lie, we knew that.

“Atletico, Porto are usually top in Portugal if not second and AC Milan are in their best moment in years.

“This is the strongest group I’ve had at Liverpool. At Dortmund in 2013, we had Man City, Real Madrid and Ajax but that was a proper group and everyone said “Oh my God, how are you going to get through that”.

“ [Who finishes third] It will deliver one really strong team into the Europa League.

“I like the Champions League how it is and this group shows there are no games where people think: ‘Do we really want to watch that?’

“It will be exciting from the first second to the last second and that keeps us on our toes.

“It’s exactly how we want it and that’s how we have to deal with it.”

Salah backed to imitate Messi, Ronaldo and Zlatan

Zlatan Ibrahimović will not be part of the Milan side who travels to Merseyside due to an Achilles injury.

Still, the striker turns 40 next month and is still as good as ever.

Mo Salah’s been tipped to play well into his 30s given the condition and lifestyle he lives.

Klopp sees no reason why the Egyptian can’t follow in the footsteps of Ibrahimovich, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I’ve never spoken to him about that and how long he wants to play but he has the capabilities,” said Klopp.

“Physically, he’s more similar to Lionel Messi. All these guys need to be lucky with injuries.

“Mo has all of the things. I’m pretty sure the way he sees football, he wants to be part of the game for as long as he can.

“It’s about attitude and how much people want it. I’m pretty sure some people have finished because they’re not motivated anymore.

“I don’t see that with Mo. I’m sure he wants to squeeze each day out of his career.”

Miracle of Istanbul memories

It was 16 years ago when Liverpool produced their Miracle of Istanbul.

In the 2005 Champions League final, the Reds were 3-0 down against a star-studded Milan side.

But Rafa Benitez’s side fought back to claim their fifth European Cup in dramatic style via a penalty shootout.

Klopp remembers watching as a neutral but almost switched off at the interval.

He said: “That night, I was thinking about not watching that second half because everyone in the world apart from a few people in the Liverpool camp thought the game might be decided.

“The fightback was impressive. What I remember was some incredible game from [Liverpool goalkeeper] Jersey Dudek. They scored three goals but Milan could have scored more goals.

“At that time, I was just watching the Champions League final and it looked like the game was decided but then became one of the biggest football sensations ever and I’m really glad I didn’t turn the tele off.”

Rousing Raducanu

British tennis player Emma Raducanu has been dominating the headlines since Saturday night after her win in the US Open aged just 18.

Klopp tuned in for her straight-sets victory over Leylah Annie Fernandez, who is only 19 herself.

The German was mesmerised by the encounter in New York.

He added: “It’s a long time ago I’ve watched a full tennis game and full women’s tennis game.

“I was really impressed by the power and speed of the whole game.

“These two girls were 18 and 19 and what they showed was massively impressive during the game,

“I was overwhelmed by how both presented themselves after the game. It was just a great show of sportsmanship, elite sport and how humble you can be when you’re that young already on top of the world. It was really nice and that’s what you can take [as a football coach].”