Liverpool’s Joe Gomez and James Milner fit to face Chelsea in FA Cup
Monday 2 March 2020 13:35, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Joe Gomez and James Milner are available to face Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Premier League leaders travel to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday on the back of Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Watford - their first loss in the league this season.
Gomez missed the trip to Vicarage Road with a "minor fitness issue", while vice-captain Milner sat out the game with a muscle strain, but both players will return to face Chelsea.
When asked if he had any fresh injury concerns ahead of the match, Klopp said: "No new ones, I think.
"Joe and Milner are back, the others [Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri] are not."
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Dejan Lovren admitted Liverpool felt "ashamed" after their defeat to Watford and the Croatian has been criticised by some fans for his performance after coming into the side as cover for Gomez.
Klopp says Lovren has been unfairly blamed for the loss and believes most centre-backs would have struggled to contain Watford on Saturday.
"It's not fair. If anyone blames Lovren for our defeat then I can't help these people," said Klopp.
"A lot of times in my life I speak to people who know lesser about football. That's okay, I'm a well-paid Premier League manager, and I should know a little bit more than most other people.
"But on that level, I cannot discuss [it]. You have to see the situations. Yes it was a massive challenge for Dejan to play against Troy Deeney, there are so many other centre-halves in the world that would struggle in these specific situations."
Klopp: Liverpool fans 'not silly enough' to believe coronavirus claims
Liverpool remain 22 points clear at the top of the Premier League despite their defeat to Watford.
However, recent reports have claimed that the Reds could miss out on the title if the coronavirus outbreak causes the season to end prematurely.
Klopp has dismissed claims the Premier League season could be cancelled because of the virus and has moved to reassure nervous Liverpool supporters.
"How much sense would it make to delete all the results of this season and tell me who would play in the Champions League next season, and all things like this?" said Klopp.
"It is a nice story for some newspapers to write something but when I saw it the first time I thought 'wow, somebody thinks something like that?'.
"Liverpool fans are not silly enough to believe these things."
