Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders spoke to the media instead of Jürgen Klopp ahead of his side's away trip to Bournemouth on Wednesday, November 1st at 19:45 PM (UK time).

The Dutchman revealed the latest updates on injuries with Thiago Alcântara still not yet in training following his latest setback. It's been seven months since he last featured for Liverpool who've been without one of the world's most talented midfielders this season.

Lijnders heaped praise on the 32-year-old and said the team misses him in action. "We have missed Thiago,” he admitted. “I have missed him a lot. Imagine our new midfield that people are talking about and you have Thiago in the middle as well guiding. It will take time. He won't be available.”

Ryan Gravenberch has endured a fabulous start to his Liverpool career and begun starting games in the Premier League owing to his quick but fruitful start at Anfield as Lijnders admitted he does not know why the 21-year-old - who is an all-round talent - struggled for form at Bayern Munich.

“We know that a player without confidence is not the same,” the Dutchman said. “I'm not sure what happened at Bayern, he comes here - with full trust- then we knew with training, good conversations, showing the idea with the clarity of the whole group that we have a special player. 

His vision, his touch, Ryan has everything to be an eight like that, he arrives, shoots and has a mentality to score.”

While Liverpool dominated Nottingham Forest 3-0 in their last outing, they did so with the terrifying story of Luis Diaz's parents being kidnapped in the backdrop. 

Diogo Jota celebrated his opener in the game by running to the bench and holding Diaz's number seven shirt to the crowd as he paid tribute to his team-mate and the struggles he's going through.

Lijnders reaffirmed to the media that the club continue to support Diaz as the police force in Colombia continues attempts to retrieve his father, Luis Diaz Sr.

“I think and I feel that it's only for Liverpool Football Club that the players know we're doing the right thing. It's not for me to say what we're doing for Luis Diaz. As long as he knows that we're doing all the right things and we pray. The whole club is behind him, he has that feeling then for me, it's right.”

Liverpool could advance to the quarter-finals with a win against their fellow Premier League side as the Merseyside club look to return to delivering silverware for their fans.