Liverpool's kids will still feel 'the eyes' of Klopp if boss misses FA Cup tie

While football is seemingly assured to return at Anfield on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp's place on the touchline is far less certain.

The Liverpool manager has spent the past week isolating at home after returning a positive test for coronavirus and missed last Sunday's thrilling 2-2 draw at Chelsea.

Klopp's case was one of many in the Reds camp and a host of youth players are set to make up the matchday squad this weekend, supplementing the few first-team men available.

The German's No.2 Pep Lijnders took charge at Stamford Bridge but he, too, has been forced into isolation, leaving fellow assistant Peter Krawietz to oversee preparations for the FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town.

But fans need not fear, as Krawietz has long been a confidant of Klopp's, working alongside the ex-Mainz and Borussia Dortmund boss since 2001.

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Although Klopp could be back in the dugout providing he returns a pair of negatives tests in the two days prior to the third-round tie, it appears his trusted right-hand man will be leading Liverpool come Sunday afternoon.

But who is Krawietz?

Nicknamed 'the eyes' due to his visual input on Klopp's teams, they first worked together at Mainz, with shadowy operator Krawietz acting as a video analyst before being promoted to chief scout.

And, unsurprisingly, the Germans share the same footballing philosophy.

"Dominance and control, that's what it's about," Krawietz - tasked with taking training when their complex reopened on Friday - told The Athletic in 2020.

"It has always been in our approach to control football games in a dominant manner. That possibly distinguishes us from other teams.

"We try to dominate, even when we're not in possession. Gegenpressing is not some wild chase after the ball, it's predicated on a trigger, designed to minimise the opponent's time on the ball.

"But the high individual quality of our players also allows us to control games in possession now, and to take up positions close to the ball, to be able to win it back again quickly if we do lose it."

The 'eyes' name tag comes from Klopp being the self-proclaimed 'heart' of his staff and Zeljko Buvac, now usurped by Lijnders after leaving in 2018, is 'the brain'.

Klopp especially values Krawietz and his coaching staff, telling the club's website in 2017: "I am nothing without them.

"I think the biggest strength of strong people is to put people around you who are stronger in specific cases than yourself.

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"I like them all but we are only together because they have so many qualities. Without them, I didn't want to do the job - and I couldn't do the job anymore. That's how it is.

"When I started I was alone, but that was years ago and the world has changed - especially the football world, so it's really important we have this quality around."

If Klopp is indeed forced to stay at home on Sunday, whoever lines up at Anfield will still have his eyes on them from the dugout.