Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp confirmed that a recent COVID-19 outbreak among players included multiple false positives, with only defender Trent Alexander-Arnold testing positive. The club requested a postponement of their League Cup semi-final against Arsenal after a "severe outbreak," though Klopp emphasized the majority of cases were inaccurate results.
The incident occurred ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup third-round match against Shrewsbury Town, where Klopp fielded four teenagers due to the health crisis. The team secured a 4-1 victory, with Fabinho scoring twice and Kaide Gordon and Roberto Firmino adding goals after falling behind.
Klopp told reporters, "We had last week a proper outbreak and it showed up that we had a lot of false positives. The rules are strict, so all these players who are false positives couldn't play." He clarified, "The only real positive came from Trent Alexander-Arnold and all the rest were false positives." The Reds will host Arsenal in the League Cup semi-final on Thursday before the return leg on January 20 at the Emirates Stadium.
A January 9, 2022, match between Liverpool and Arsenal was canceled due to the outbreak, forcing the rearrangement of fixtures. The club continues to navigate challenges from the pandemic while maintaining competitive form.
