Jurgen Klopp issues update on Roberto Firmino and speaks out on Brendan Rodgers: Press Conference

Liverpool travel to seventh-placed Watford on Wednesday night, looking to extend their one-point lead over rivals Manchester City. Ahead of the game, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has faced the press. Firmino injury Firmino looks good, we were obviously lucky. Not as serious as we first thought. It will be closed for tomorrow, a big chance for the derby. It is not as bad as it first looked. Because it is bobby there is a chance for tomorrow but he will be ready for the derby. Writing him off is silly because he recovers pretty quick. On Watford I don’t think at any time in the history of football a manager thinks about a Sunday game when they’re playing on Wednesday. Against the top six Watford don’t have a lot of possession but they defend deep and we have analysed that. They’re proactive and we need to be ready. We’ll have the ball in the game and we need to do something with that. This is a Premier League game against a good side. On Brendan Rodgers As long as he doesn’t go to Everton I am fine as he would want his house back but Leicester is too far for that! It’s not an easy situation for Celtic - I have heard of it and there must be some rumours if I’m aware - but wherever he goes I wish him well. On who comes in Firmino The players can’t do a lot in that week to show me they are ready. If you play in a club like Liverpool there is a lot of quality and if you need to change and few things then we will. It’s possible Bobby won’t be involved but we have options and we’ll use those at the start of the game and then possibly another option in the second half. Watford don’t know what we are doing. On Naby Keita Keita is set. He is an outstanding player and sometimes he has shown this but he’s had a little bit of injuries and is at a new club but this is a long term project and there is a lot to come. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t performed already - West Ham second half and Bournemouth really good game. That’s how it is, everything is fine and it will be fine. On Bayern and United We need to defend and we need to attack. Playing against Bayern and they treat you like you’re a mixture of Real and Barcelona and defend with all we have. I thought we could do better and that’s good news. Manchester United was strange - we started well but the injuries 100% broke the rhythm. They have been the team of the last month, only losing one against PSG. Nobody has really created against them apart from Tottenham. They defend physically strong and so deep and go on the counter-attack but there wasn’t a lot of that. If you ask me what I want for Christmas this game is not involved. But you give nothing away in a game like this. This is a positive situation You must not make the defence or attack stronger or weaker to help the other. I’m fine with the games and it’s a very positive situation and we have to make sure everybody lives that.”  Destiny in own hands We don’t have to look as far ahead as 11 games. It is so positive. If you only judge the moment and see the opportunity everything is fine. If you look back then it makes life more uncomfortable. In a situation where you can be champions for the first time in your life it is a pure opportunity and you have to use that on the front foot. Using the opportunity of being top We have defended outstandingly well and we have scored. These are things we have to do a and we have to feel the opportunity. On Lovren, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Brewster injuries Nobody is coming back from injury for tomorrow. Liverpool fighting for results My job is to help the players perform on the highest level. Everyone saw at United we were confident and we were much better when all of United’s players were on the pitch but the game changed completely. The open game and we were better. It changed and we were still in charge and gave nothing away. That is important. The new awareness of Liverpool has changed a lot of things but we’ve always had solutions in the games. Imagine we hadn’t lost at City, it was millimetres. In the United game there was a clear penalty situation. It could have been different but the boys fight for the results.

Jurgen Klopp trolls Everton ahead of Merseyside derby