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Fabinho out for Liverpool due to family bereavement

Fabinho (L) with Jurgen Klopp
Fabinho (L) with Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Fabinho will play no part in Saturday's home game against Burnley due to a family bereavement.

"I would like to say it's a private situation. Fab is here and is doing what he's able to do," Klopp told a press conference.

"We all feel for him and are with him. We gave him all the warmth we have at this moment. The rest is private."

Klopp revealed both Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara could return to action after playing in a behind-closed-doors game against Aston Villa this week.

"They're much closer. They look fine. Now we have to make a decision," Klopp said. "They looked really good in the game and this week in training. It's now up to me to make some decisions."

Liverpool's 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League was ended in a 1-0 defeat to Burnley in January last season, but Klopp insisted it would have no bearing on Saturday's game.

"Not in a moment, sitting here to be honest," he said. "I didn't even think about it. Now you have told me, that's something I didn't like.

"It was a strange one. Yes we lost it, Burnley won it, that's how football is, so well deserved. But it obviously has nothing to do with the game now."

Klopp said he was excited by the return of the fans to Anfield and was not looking for "revenge" against Sean Dyche's side.

"We will try everything to have our first home game in front of our crowd for the first time in 520-something days I think and we want to enjoy that," Klopp said.

"Football is only possible to enjoy when you play in a positive way, when you just go for it. There are no guarantees out there, not at all, especially not against Burnley because they can make your life really uncomfortable.

"They defend well and have really good footballers in the team. Sean is doing a brilliant job there. He sets them up so they are not only annoying, good set pieces, all this kind of stuff.

"They have a clear way of playing, so that's what we prepare for - not any kind of revenge or whatever."

Klopp, who confirmed new contract talks between the club and Henderson remained ongoing, said he had not been surprised by Virgil van Dijk's impressive return to action in the opening-day win at Norwich.

"I wasn't impressed in a surprised way," the German added. "He had a four-and-a-half-week pre-season, maybe five, and if you put in all his other rehab stuff it was probably the longest pre-season of all time.

"I saw him obviously in training every day. He played like he trained before so I was not surprised.

"But yes, Virgil is a good football player, so that's why I was really happy to have him back."

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