Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp refused to downplay the anger going into the Merseyside derby against Everton.

Speaking ahead of the showdown Klopp admits his men were left furious after seeing Jordan Pickford's reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk, which saw the Dutchman rupture his ACL and be ruled out for the season.

Klopp said: "Nothing will be carried to tomorrow, that's how it is.

"A week later, two weeks later, three weeks later after we got the diagnosis [on Van Dijk] and all these kind of things, it was good we didn't play Everton immediately again, let me say it like this.

"That's how it is. We're all human beings and of course it was not nice but now its long gone.

"We just don't think about it any more, its still a derby and that's enough to be motivated at the absolute highest level and trying to play the best football you can play and that's it, pretty much."

When pressed further and asked whether the derby clash against the Toffees earlier in the season marked the start of Liverpool's failed mission to retain the title, Klopp considered the question for a few moments before replying: "What can I say - it was an important day, for sure."