Klopp reveals how Liverpool are coping without Salah, Mane and Keita

Despite the loss of the key trio, Liverpool have managed to stay unbeaten and book a spot in the EFL Cup final.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has praised the ‘outstanding commitment’ to defending from his squad amid the absences of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Naby Keita.

The three players are competing in the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Salah is representing Egypt, Mane is leading the Senegal attack, and Keita is with Guinea. They’ve each helped their respective national teams book a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Klopp hasn’t had the trio in his squad since the 2-2 draw at Chelsea on January 2. But Liverpool have coped so far with three wins, one draw, and three consecutive clean sheets in their past four games.

A 2-0 midweek victory over Arsenal, meanwhile, booked the club a spot for next month’s EFL Cup final against Chelsea.

How have the Reds coped?

Asked how Liverpool have found solidity in Salah, Mane, and Keita’s absence in a press conference, Klopp said: “When you lose key players for injuries or tournaments or whatever, the solution is not that you will be flying in the next game and you say, ‘OK, now we score five or six and you create chances like hell and all these kinds of things.

“Wherever they are on the pitch, whether they are strikers, midfielders or wherever, [when] you lose key players you have to adapt. In our case, it was 100 percent clear that we have to be solid, rock solid.

“It’s a clear agreement, maybe you don’t see it all the time, but ‘defending first’: we have to be organized, that is the basis for everything we do and at this moment I can see an outstanding commitment to our defending, that’s how it is.”

Liverpool will face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.