Jurgen Klopp says Chelsea FC have been lucky with injuries this season, reaffirms Liverpool’s title credentials

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has stated that Chelsea have been lucky with injuries this season, and wants his team to battle their way to the title.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Jurgen Klopp heaped heavy praise on league leaders Chelsea and admitted that they are the best team in England thus far. However, he says the Blues are where they are because of their exceptional luck with injuries.

“I am pretty sure that until now Chelsea are maybe the team that have had the most luck with injuries. We lost Phil (Coutinho) and Daniel (Sturridge) and Danny Ings in difficult moments when you really could use them,” said the German.

“If it’s Hazard and Costa at Chelsea, is it the same afterwards? It’s a long season and they all have to play us again and not only us, they have to play Arsenal again and all of the others.

“Of course they are the team to beat because they are very experienced, maybe the most experienced team in the top flight at the moment,” he added.

Under Antonio Conte, Chelsea look like a revolutionised outfit, wanting to win each and every game they play in. The Blues have come against title challengers in Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and have put them all away to continue their exceptional winning run.

In fact, Conte’s men have picked up maximum points in each of their last eleven league games – the best winning streak of any Chelsea side in the Premier League.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have seen injuries halt the momentum they had picked up during the start of the season. An injury to Adam Lallana saw the onus fall onto Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

The attacking trio went about things comfortably, but then disaster struck. Coutinho ruptured his ankle and is now on the sidelines, fighting hard to return to full fitness. The results have also been affected, as the Reds find themselves six points off Chelsea in first.

However, Klopp believes that his side can still push for the title.

“We are not the last 25 years. We are now. We are this generation. As much as we love all the guys from the past which created this club, we cannot make their job. We have to do our job,” said the Liverpool boss.

“Let’s do it and let’s try it. We are good enough and the club is big enough. We have the owners we need because they don’t want to sell players. This moment at Liverpool is fantastic and we have to use it,” he added.

With an impending festive period of three matches in quick succession, it remains to be seen how Klopp and Conte rotate their squad to keep their players fit. Chelsea play host to Bournemouth on Boxing Day while Liverpool take on Stoke on the 27th.

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