Klopp: I feel good and I'm back in the race!

The manager missed Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Anfield on Saturday after feeling unwell overnight. He was taken to Aintree hospital by Reds club doctor Andy Massey, where his condition was diagnosed.

But, just two days on from keyhole surgery, Klopp was back at Melwood and at the top table to face the media in a pre-West Ham United press conference.

He told reporters: “I’m good. It is like it always is and a lot of people have had this before. I haven’t had this before, so it was a bit new for me!

“Like always, you have one not too good night, then have the surgery and then everything is okay again. I feel good and I am back in the race!”

Klopp was eager to pay tribute to the care he received from both Massey and the staff at Aintree hospital, including the surgeon who performed the operation and actually holds an Anfield season ticket.

The boss continued: “It’s because I feel good [that I am here], that’s pretty easy. If you feel bad then you should stay at home, but I feel good.

“I am very thankful to our doctor [Andy Massey] because he said we should go to hospital – I was not too sure! – and then the surgeon was great, a season ticket holder! He told me we both wouldn’t see the game, I was like, ‘Okay, sorry!’ Then I had the best nurses, so everything was okay.

“I feel really good and that’s the only reason I am here. If I am not fit then I can’t help here, so I would be at home. So everything is okay, and we don’t have to talk about this anymore.”

Klopp confirmed he will return to the touchline on Tuesday evening for Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth-round replay with West Ham at the Boleyn Ground.

While the 48-year-old is eager to continue his managerial duties as normal, he accepts he may have to temper some of his emotions with the fixture coming so soon after going under the knife.

“I think I am experienced enough to know that for me it won’t be a normal coaching game, so I don’t want to jump or things like this,” Klopp said.

“I have a few holes in my body – hopefully the water stays in [holds up water bottle]! I can’t win the game with my emotions outside, I know this, so I can handle it, no worries.”

Klopp confirmed he watched Liverpool’s Sunderland stalemate on Sunday, having been under anaesthetic when the contest was originally played the day before.  

He said: “I watched the game afterwards – I watched it yesterday. I spoke to all of my coaches and what I heard before was what I saw afterwards – that it was not necessary to give the points away.

“In this moment it’s easy for me to say we have to carry on and take the positive things out of this game because there were a lot of positive things. If you take out the last 10 minutes, then it was a real good game and how you should play. We could have scored a few more goals and how we conceded the goals was not too good, how it always is. But it is not the only information I need to understand what our situation is at the moment.”