Lovren says lockdown has been a mental battle

The Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has said staying focused on the Premier League title race during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown has been a mental battle despite all individual efforts to maintain physical fitness.

“It hasn’t been easy as we have been locked up in our homes for 46 days now,” the Croatia international told Sportske Novosti. “The psychological aspect is the most difficult to overcome. I work out on my own as much as I can, I kick the ball around a bit with my son on our lawn, but training with the team is totally different.”

The league, which has been suspended since 9 March, remains in limbo and unable to take any steps until any government decision next week on possible changes to lockdown restrictions. All 20 clubs held a conference call on Friday in which they looked at plans for a resumption of training later in May followed by a possible return to competitive action in June.

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Disastrous Lovren costs Reds against Man City

It was the night Manchester City made it clear they have no intentions of giving up their Premier League crown without a considerable fight. For Pep Guardiola and his players there is still a game of catch-up to play at the top of the table but they will like to think this victory could be a decisive blow. As the song goes, City intend to fight to the end and, if they are to relinquish their grip on the trophy, finger by finger, it will need something special from Liverpool to hold them off.

That much felt very clear during those jubilant scenes at the final whistle when City celebrated a victory that could conceivably give them fresh impetus in their quest to defend the title. Liverpool chose a bad night to concede two league goals for the first time this season and Leroy Sané’s decisive strike brings the gap down to four points.

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Lovren and Mignolet set to start against Chelsea

Dejan Lovren could make his first appearance since the World Cup final when Liverpool host Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

The Croatia international has yet to feature for the Premier League leaders this season having returned from the World Cup with a stomach injury but may be included in Jürgen Klopp’s squad for the third round tie at Anfield having resumed full training. “Dejan looks actually quite good,” the Liverpool manager said on Tuesday. “He has trained completely normal now four times. He looks ready.”

Lovren faces a fight to reclaim his starting place on a regular basis with Joe Gomez having formed an impressive central defensive partnership with Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk is unlikely to be risked in the first of two meetings this week with Chelsea, however, as he recovers from the rib injury that forced him out of Saturday’s league win over Southampton. “It’s still a bit painful but he is much better,” Klopp added. “It’s how we thought - not too serious but it needs to settle. We will have to see how he is before I make a decision.”

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