Press conferenceJürgen Klopp on Darwin Nunez return, Roberto Firmino form and more

The Uruguay international has missed the Reds’ last three games after being sent off against Crystal Palace but is available again for Saturday’s Merseyside derby.

During Friday’s pre-match press conference, Jürgen Klopp was asked about Nunez’s impending return, the form of Roberto Firmino, his expectations of the clash with the Blues and the mentality of youngsters Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott.

Read the boss’ answers to those questions below…

On Nunez’s availability and the decision-making process on whether to bring him back into the starting XI…

When it was clear it was three games, which was pretty quickly clear, we thought, ‘Oh, the first game he can play again is the derby!’ So if he wouldn’t have had the red card three games ago it probably would have happened now but he learnt the lesson. He is in really good shape and if you look at how we came through this now with the last two games winning, we don’t see it as a bad thing. The time he was out we used it with him, we tried to give him some extra input physically as well as tactically. He looks really settled now, even more than before, he had a really good last week. What we will make of that, you will have to wait until tomorrow.

On whether Nunez is looking forward to being available again…

Yes. He is really happy he is back and he is not suspended because all the time when I gave him a high-five I gave him a slap on his neck as well, just so he doesn’t forget! Yeah, that can stop now! He is looking forward to it, I am pretty sure. The English didn’t improve as much in these last 10-15 days or whatever it was so I don’t know exactly, but it looks like.

On the reasons behind Firmino scoring three goals in his last two games to pass 100 for the club…

That was, if you want, the other little benefit of the suspension that Bobby just [played] how I believed he would have played. Timing-wise it was perfect finding his real shape because he played obviously exceptionally. I said before, I liked a lot of the Man United game even though not a lot of people maybe agree with me on that, but then obviously Bournemouth and now again really important for us. The way he plays, that’s why it is the Bobby we know. You cannot score 100 goals if you have a lot of downs but if you have a lot of ups it’s maybe possible and that’s why he has reached this number, which is pretty special. Really happy for him. He got here in this room his shirt with 100 and the applause of the guys was nearly as loud as when we scored the 2-1 against Newcastle! Obviously everyone was really happy for him and yeah, it was good.

On Liverpool’s recent record at Goodison and the nature of away derbies…

Tight games. Pretty much all, or most of the time, really tight, even the games we won. We won one [with a] Sadio Mane goal, 90th minute. It’s a big fight, we cannot ignore that but you have to play football as well. That’s the challenge. From this point of view I really think the Newcastle game was the perfect preparation because the game was super intense and showed us what we will have to expect even if somebody might not know it yet, then he knows it after Wednesday. Yeah, in the last few years I am involved in most of these draws and the games were still all different, just intense, a lot of fight. The more you can put in football as well in between these fighting moments the more likely you can get more from the game. But that’s obviously a real challenge.

On Carvalho and Elliott sharing the team’s desire to fight until the last second, as they showed against Newcastle…

Yeah, I would say in this stadium it is pretty difficult to not be like this, to be honest, because you could see it in the moment, especially when we scored the equaliser, the noise level increased immediately and then we all pulled in really one direction, which was really great to see again. I liked the atmosphere, obviously, in the Bournemouth game but this atmosphere was much more what you want to have so that’s absolutely great.

Yeah, it’s their character, both are footballers through and through, like with all you want, and obviously they want to win, that’s clear, and without being already vocal on the pitch they lead in these moments with the ball at their feet and that is pretty important. Of course, how I said after the game, Harvey was the best player on the pitch that night, which is pretty impressive for his age – it doesn’t happen now constantly in world football. The impact of Fabio since he is here, when he came on, was always there in all games. It was in the first game against [Manchester] City already. That’s because of them, they are just real footballers.