📣 Lijnders on Elliott and injuries, AFCON, goalkeepers, penalties | OneFootball

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Lewis Ambrose·19 January 2022

📣 Lijnders on Elliott and injuries, AFCON, goalkeepers, penalties

Article image:📣 Lijnders on Elliott and injuries, AFCON, goalkeepers, penalties

Liverpool will face Arsenal in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Thursday. Here’s what Pep Lijnders had to say when he faced the media on Wednesday morning 



On Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ankle injury

“Alex is hoping he will make the weekend but tomorrow is too soon.


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“If we speak about Ox, we should discuss his outstanding performance [on Sunday]. In a good moment with quality.”

On other absentees

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“Thiago will hopefully be in full team training after the international break, to prepare for the Cardiff game. Divock [Origi] will be only after Cardiff.

“[Harvey Elliott] hasn’t lost his football brain. It would be a crime not to play him when you see him like yesterday. He didn’t knock on the door, he ran through it, but we’ll take our time. He needs to get team fit.

“It’s great to have him back.

“We miss three players at AFCON, everyone forgets Naby. We miss him as well, Man of the Match twice and he’s scored.”

On Arsenal having the NLD postponed

“We had our own experience of this. It’s difficult to judge from the outside. I fully trust the medical departments at each Premier League club.

“We went to Tottenham without crucial players. It was the same at home to Newcastle. We went to Chelsea without our manager, Ali, Bobby and JoĂ«l.

“All the teams want to play. The first job of the medical guys is to protect players and their families.”

On the prospect of a penalty shootout

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“We go to Arsenal and it’s clear we need to win, that’s good. In 90, 120, or penalties, we need to win this game. We want to create memories and special games, so it’s good we can speak about finals in January.

“We prepare from the first day of pre-season and penalties is the same too. We don’t just prepare this week for that. Everyone was writing us off from the first leg, so I cannot wait to go there and create a special game for us.”

On reaching the final

“At the start of the season we always talk about wanting to create special memories with our fans. It’s good that we are in January and we’re talking about reaching finals and reaching Wembley.”

On if Alisson will play again

“It’s good that we have three really good goalkeepers. Adrian saved our arse whenever he was needed.

“Kelleher is a special talent, he has the personality to not be involved for 60 minutes and then have to make a crucial save.”