Monday 20 November 2017 22:57, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes striker Daniel Sturridge needs to put aside any concerns he may have about his place in the team for the good of the club's season.
Klopp arrived in Spain for the crucial Champions League clash with Sevilla on the back of more speculation about the future of his England striker, who will reportedly look for a move in January in an attempt to salvage his World Cup hopes.
Similar noises about a lack of game time and a January move were heard 12 months ago, but Klopp shrugged them off.
"I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time, but that's all," said Klopp.
"The situation with the player is completely OK. At this moment we are in November and need all our players - even if he feels a little different.
"There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don't think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (his players)."
With qualification for the knockout stage up for grabs in Spain, the Liverpool boss would like to exact some payback for their 2016 Europa League final defeat by beating Sevilla on their own turf.
However, Klopp knows he will need a "mature" performance from his side.
"Without that you have no chance," he said.
"They (Sevilla) have all the things you need, experienced strikers, quick strikers, ready for channelled balls, midfielders (Steven) N'Zonzi, (Ever) Banega, (Jesus) Navas quick in behind. Different things they have.
"When you prepare for a game like this you think, 'Oh my god, they are really good'. It is more interesting to face them.
"This is a tough place to come. What we did in the last month result-wise has given us confidence coming here, but that does not mean we win it.
"Our new maturity we will have to show it 100 per cent in this atmosphere. We do not need to run in only one direction and win in the first second.
"We have to show how the last games were against a quality opponent."
