Jurgen Klopp has defended Liverpool against question over their 40 false positive Covid-19 tests last week that saw their Carabao Cup match against Arsenal postponed.
Klopp himself tested positive for the virus at the start of the year but last week, a Covid outbreak saw the training ground shut amid an influx of positive tests.
There were reports the EFL were going to investigate the circumstances around the postponement after Klopp revealed on Sunday, after Liverpool beat Shrewsbury 4-1 in the FA Cup, that the vast number were false positives.
Jurgen Klopp has opened up about Liverpool’s forty false positive Covid-19 tests
Speaking at his Wednesday press conference ahead of Thursday’s tie with Arsenal, Klopp said: ‘What would you think I mean when I talk about false positives?
‘A false positive is when you get a positive test back. When you are able to do a re-test, you get a result which makes it look like a false positive because this test was negative.
‘It doesn’t change anything for your quarantine but you need to know, you have to do a third test. In between, you cannot use the players – that’s how the rules are for all of us. If the third test negative as well then that is it. But that is four days later, we couldn’t have done anything different.
‘In the first moment we got the positives tests, we had to consider it was the right result. PCR tests, by the way.’
As many as 40 players and staff returned suspected positive results, it is understood.
Klopp said after the FA Cup win over Shrewsbury: ‘We had last week a proper outbreak and it showed up that we had a lot of false positives but the rules are like they are, so all these players who are false positives couldn’t play.
‘The only real positive came from Trent Alexander-Arnold and all the rest were false positives.’
It is understood the club conducted a second round of PCR tests after when the Carabao Cup match have been held, and it was at that point that they concluded the first round of PCRs had contained a number of false positives.
Alexander-Arnold is back training ahead of Thursday’s cup tie with Arsenal, Klopp explained.
Goalkeeper Alisson also trained with the squad in the build-up after missing the 2-2 draw with Chelsea due to contracting the virus.
The postponement also saw Liverpool surrender playing the second leg at Anfield, something Klopp conceded is a negative for his side ahead of the two-legged tie.
‘Of course it makes a difference but especially with the power Anfield can produce,’ Klopp said.
‘We couldn’t play last Thursday so that is why we have to take it how it is but of course it is a difference.’
