Jurgen Klopp provides positive Liverpool fitness update and names ‘top-class’ player

Jurgen Klopp believes that Liverpool look ‘really fresh’ as the 2023-24 Premier League season is set to begin.

The Reds ended their pre-season campaign with a 3-1 win over SV Darmstadt 98 at Preston North End’s Deepdale. Diogo Jota, Mo Salah and Luis Diaz were on the scoresheet.

While Liverpool are still trying to sign a new defensive midfielder to replace Jordan Henderson and Fabinho - with a third bid of around £45 million rebuffed by Southampton for Romeo Lavia - their current squad is looking largely healthy. The Reds have not picked up any major injuries during the summer while Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic - who underwent respective hip and adductor injuries last term - are now back in training.

Klopp’s side have been given a tough curtain-raiser as they make the trip to Chelsea on Sunday. And although Liverpool will have to deploy makeshift tactics at Stamford Bridge, with Alexis Mac Allister operating in the number-six role against Darmstadt, he is relishing the game.

The Reds boss told LFCTV: “ With the physical state, I am really happy, we looked really fresh, looked really good - now, in the next five or six days, we have to find a formation for the Chelsea game, not for the whole season, and then we go from there. All OK, nobody got injured, so that’s the most important thing. We came through so far OK and that’s good.”

Mac Allister signed for Liverpool from Brighton for £35 million in June. The 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina is best known for his attacking qualities, having recorded 10 goals and two assists for the Seagulls last term.

But he exuded composure in possession when screening the defence and Klopp was highly impressed. The German added: “He’s a top-class player; on the ball [and] without the ball. We had our moments where we were a bit too open, that’s clear, but we are not used to it. That’s why I said we had to work on it. We will do that.

“We have to try it and test a couple of different things. Yes, in a compact formation, Alexis can play there, definitely. If he’s there alone, should he play there? No. But now he showed just how good a footballer he is and how good he understands the game because he played here now [for] the first time for us at least and he did really well.”