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Premier League | Gameweek 26
Feb 15, 2020 at 5.30pm UK
 
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Jurgen Klopp has no concerns about Liverpool picking up pace after "dream" week

The Reds have won 24 of 25 league matches this season.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has no concerns about his runaway Premier League leaders picking up their relentless pace again after their mid-season break.

The German welcomed his players back on Monday for a "dream" week of training after their time off and is confident they will hit the ground running against bottom side Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Liverpool have won 24 of 25 league matches this season, dropping only two points, and head into the weekend with a 22-point lead over second-placed Manchester City.

Liverpool Training Session – Melwood Training Ground
Liverpool are back in training after the winter break (Peter Byrne/PA)

"It's a pity we had to explain the necessity and how useful a week's break is," he said.

"It's about using this time. Rest is only one word, it's recovery, recharging, there a lot of things starting with 're' that happened in that week.

"That's why we wanted it, that's why we fought for it, that's why we made some decisions around it.

"The dream of a manager is to have a full week to prepare a game, then you have an intense training session which you usually can't have.

"The most intense session is the game in a training week when you play Saturday, Wednesday, Sunday.

"Now it is the other way around and we used the week to train hard, we trained a lot.

"You don't really lose rhythm for the games but your own rhythm for playing football but that was done Monday when we started.

"It's not that we don't enjoy playing, playing, playing but doing something else for one week in the middle of a season is just nice.

"Coming back you are looking forward to the next game like you didn't play for the last half-year."

The break has allowed forward Sadio Mane and midfielder James Milner to fully recover from hamstring injuries, which leaves only Xherdan Shaqiri (calf) as the only absent member of the first-team squad.

"Of course they are in contention, that's clear," added Klopp.

"When Millie and Sadio are back, you start thinking immediately (about using them). That's how it is.

"It looks like, and I hope it stays like this, apart from Shaqiri, (Nathaniel) Clyne and (Paul) Glatzel, all players are in training.

Leicester City v Liverpool – Premier League – King Power Stadium
Liverpool's James Milner is back in contention (Tim Goode/PA)

"We have some good options and we have to hope it stays like this. It will be really great for the very decisive part of the season."

While Klopp is only focused on this weekend's game he is having to give some thought to an issue looming for the summer after reports in Egypt suggested Mohamed Salah will be called up as an overage player for the country's Olympic squad.

The event takes place at the end of July-start of August and would mean the forward would miss a key part of pre-season training.

"Do I want to lose a player in pre-season? Of course not. That's clear. But we have to consider different things. I will speak with Mo and all that stuff," said Klopp.

"We are completely clear about what we want, but we need more information – how will it look, when will the preparation start, all that stuff, and nobody has really contacted us so far, it's just in the media.

"It's difficult to get in contact with me using the newspapers over there because most of the things I don't read.

"No decision yet, but we will see."

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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


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