Jurgen Klopp will not speak to the press ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final - here’s why
Liverpool face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final and Pep Lijnders and Jordan Henderson will be on media duties.
Jurgen Klopp will not speak to the press ahead of Liverpool's Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday.
Instead, the Reds manager has handed media duties to trusted right-hand man Pep Lijnders this afternoon.
Lijnders will preview the Wembley clash alongside captain Jordan Henderson from 14.00.
The Dutchman's a highly-rated figure at Anfield. He arrived in 2014 under Brendan Rodgers before being kept on after Klopp's arrival a year later.
Lijnders left Liverpool in January 2018 to take charge of Dutch second tier side NEC.
But he returned to Merseyside the following June and played a key role in helping the Reds claim the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
Lijnders has been on pre-match press duties for all but one of Liverpool's games in the Carabao Cup season - including the 2-0 semi-final second-leg victory at Arsenal.
The 39-year-old also took charge of the Reds in their 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month when Klopp was isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.
Some have tipped Lijnders to become next Anfield chief when Klopp departs at the end of his contract in 2024.
Klopp’s decision to allow Lijnders to address the press ahead of such an important game certainly underlines the faith that he has in his backroom staff.
The German spoke to Liverpool’s media department yesterday.