‘If you are not a journalist or a referee he can be a nice guy’

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho is a nice guy — providing you are not a journalist or a referee.

The Portuguese, already appealing a €70,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for suggesting officials were “afraid” to award his side decisions following the October 3rd defeat to Southampton, was this week charged with misconduct after being sent off at West Ham last weekend.

Mourinho has raged against authorities and the media for much of the season but Klopp, who knows the Chelsea boss from Champions League encounters when the pair were in charge at Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, insists his public persona is not a true representation of him as an individual.

“When I was in Germany, sometimes we sent short messages (to each other),” he said.

“From my side, I am full of respect for his work. I think if you are not a journalist or a referee he can be a nice guy, and I am not one of these so we have a good talk.

“I like to meet people and he is a nice guy and he was really full of respect during the game.

“He is emotional, I am emotional but we are full of enough respect after the whistle that normal life starts again and you can talk normally about things that happen and that is what we did.

“Everything is okay with us, no problem.”

Meanwhile Klopp has said that Belgian striker Christian Benteke is fit to take part in the game.

England international Daniel Sturridge remains on the long injury list, but Klopp echoed Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, who earlier in the day had refused to blame his club's medical staff for so many players being unavailable.

“If you look at the kind of injuries we have had, it’s nothing to do with the medical department,” the German told a news conference.

“It’s because of hits and other things.

“It’s normal in football that nobody wants to wait but you have to because recovery and rehab need time.”

One report on Friday said nine first-team players have suffered muscle injuries this season, defender Kolo Toure being the latest when he came off during the Capital One Cup tie at home to Bournemouth in midweek.

Liverpool won that game 1-0 to give Klopp his first win after three draws since taking over from Brendan Rodgers earlier this month.

They are ninth in the table, three points ahead of champions Chelsea before meeting their old rivals on Saturday.

“We have to respect the quality of Chelsea, let’s try everything and play well,” Klopp said.

“In history it was a great game. It’s a big match but I’ve been in football many years and I’ve had some big matches.”

Having already lost five league games and gone out of the Capital One Cup on penalties to Stoke City in midweek, Chelsea are having a disappointing season.

Klopp, however, believes his first visit to Stamford Bridge will be a tough one.

“Have Chelsea forgotten how to play football? No,” he added.

“You know how they played last season. Their set-plays with (Gary) Cahill, (John) Terry, all their big guys, it’s difficult.

“I am not sure it is easier to play them now than last year. Maybe self-confidence makes things something, but to be wounded can make you stronger too.

“They won’t feel life is as good as it can be, and to change it is a big motivation.

“But we are motivated too.”