Liverpool vs Bayern: Jurgen Klopp waiting on Dejan Lovren injury news for Champions League clash
Klopp speaks to the press ahead of the Champions League last-16 tie
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is still waiting to discover whether Dejan Lovren will be fit enough to play against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Lovren has not turned out since suffering hamstring injury last month and is needed to ease a lack of viable options in the centre of defence.
Klopp is likely to turn to midfielder Fabinho if Lovren does not recover in time, with Virgil van Dijk suspended and Joe Gomez sidelined with a broken leg.
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Welcome to our live coverage of Jurgen Klopp's press conference ahead of Liverpool's Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.
Klopp is about to meet the media at Anfield and preview Tuesday's first leg.
Klopp's here...
Q: Will Shaqiri be fit and if no Lovren, will Fabinho be ready to play central defence?
Do you want the complete line-up? We have to see. Shaq yesterday had a session, we have to see how he reacted.
Fabinho... in Champions League, against Bayern Munich, it's not an easy job. It depends how we defend in general. There will be a lot of moments we have to defend. Speed, technique, experience. It's all there, what you need to be successful.
Q: Bayern are a team you know well, not at their best this year. Do you still expect it to be difficult?
When Munich has a difficult situation, it's moaning on a really high level.
After six years of dominating the league it was clear this year would be more difficult. They play Dortmund at home. Nothing is decided in the league.
It's a completely normal situation with a high quality team. To become champions you need the desire of a newcomer combined with a real contender.
They are chasing the league. From my point of view it makes them more dangerous than before.
Q: Both clubs chasing league titles...
We cannot have the same target in the league as Bayern. Six times in a row champion, want to be seventh.
Our history would be completely different. Maybe we achieved a little more than expected so far, maybe they achieved a little less, but both are in a similar situation to finish the season.
We don't need to think about the league. We need to think about Champions League. If I was not involved I would buy a ticket.
Q: Playing at home first a disadvantage?
We don't care. We played against City at home first too.
Usually when two good teams play against each other it will not be decided in one game. There are two legs to play. We will be focused in both.
We need to create a basis we can use in the second game. It's difficult but possible.
Q: Not played in a while...
You can see it in two ways. We tried to use the time to prepare. We needed time to bring players back as well.
For that, it helped. For all the rest, we will see. We didn't think about. The answer will maybe be given tomorrow night.
Q: Three-and-a-half years at Liverpool, how has it gone?
The welcome was outstanding and since then its better and better.
We've grown together, developed together. I'm not often in the city so I don't know how people feel but in the stadium the atmosphere is positive.
The best thing we did is that we are a real competitor again. Its an important step. Qualified for the second year in a row, hopefully next year third is unusual. It didn't happen much in the past.
The story so far is a nice one but not finished yet.
Q: Reunion with Hummels and Lewandowski...
We have a lot of respect for each other. I know a lot about them, not everything, but I follow them of course and I really like them.
We will try everything to let them not shine. Difficult enough, but we will still try.
Q: Extra dimension with it being Bayern and your rivalry?
No dimension. Only more stress. I could've had 600 interviews with German newspapers and television. That's the interest but it's not a little bit personal.
The story Uli Hoeness brought up that we had a phone call. I've known that since 2008 but never told anybody. When they say that, I can say yes.
There was never any negativity with Bayern when we played. It was not nice for us but it was part of the business, it's long ago.
I've never in my life been angry in a long time. I was not happy but its long ago and it's a big club, we all know that. They were big competition for us.
Q: If you had to choose, Premier League or Champions League?
Thank god we don't have to make that decision today. The only thing we can do is give our all and play passionate football.
We have to create the atmosphere on the pitch and make it easier for the people. It will be outstanding tomorrow night.
There's a lot of power involved in that. I've experienced it a couple of times where our crowd pushes us from 100 to 120 or 140 per cent.
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