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Orlando Pirates centre forward Zakhele Lepasa has opened up about what he recently experienced at a hospital amidst the coronavirus pandemic. 

The 23-year-old player is currently out nursing a leg injury which he picked up during the Buccaneers' 1-0 win over Chippa United in a PSL match two weeks ago.

Lepasa then missed Pirates' 1-0 win over former Angolan champions Sagrada Esperanca in the Caf Confederation Cup first-round first-leg game on December 22. 

The South Africa under-23 international took to his official Twitter page to express his sadness after seeing pictures of Covid-19 patients.

"Last week in hospital I saw some horrible pictures of people who had Covid-19 and were admitted there," Lepasa wrote on Twitter. 

"And sadly most of them died. And I don’t wish that on anyone. It’s so sad that a person can be okay today and become bedridden tomorrow.

"Nothing saddens me like to hear that there are people who followed the safety rules and still got Covid-19.

"It has come to a point where we all have to think about the next person and not ourselves. Your mom, granny or aunt at home. Think about them then not you." 

Lepasa's Pirates teammate Ben Motshwari was the first PSL player to be tested positive with Covid-19 in May 2020.

However, the central midfielder recovered in the following month and he has been one of Bucs' top performers this season.

Lepaza has been a regular for Josef Zinnbauer's side this term having played 11 matches across all competitions and found the back of the net twice in the process. 

The lanky player, who shot to prominence after helping TS Galaxy clinch the 2018 Nedbank Cup, is expected to miss the Buccaneers' upcoming blockbuster clash with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Sundowns are set to play host to Pirates in an eagerly anticipated PSL match at the 2010 Fifa World Cup Round of 16 venue, Loftus Versfeld Stadium, in Tshwane on Saturday. 

Pirates are placed fifth on the league standings - five points behind leaders, Sundowns, but they have a game in hand. 

After playing against SC Villa at right-back, Express FC captain Enock Walusimbi has revealed a readiness to play in whichever position coach Wasswa Bbosa deploys him.

Walusimbi, after missing the games against Bright Stars and Mbarara City, was deployed at the full-back position against the Jogoos after Charles Musiige was injured.

Bbosa made the change as he also did not want to undo the Isa Lumu and Murushid Juuko partnership at centre-back.

“Firstly it wasn’t my first time to play right-back in that game though it had been a while since I’d last played there,” Walusimbi told the club’s portal.

“Just like I play at centre back, I was as comfortable as they came and I believe I put in a good shift, therefore, for whichever defensive role the head coach [Bbossa] deploys me in, I’ll always be ready.

The defender missed two games after he had been sent off during an encounter against Onduparaka FC at Arua, and stated his satisfaction in how the teammates did their duties while he was away.

“At Express, we have quite a good number of leaders so I am always sure even in my absence the boys will pull through,” he concluded. “They did a good job although we’re not done yet because we have a long way to go.”

Meanwhile, Abel Etrude has thanked Bbosa for trusting him with playtime despite being out of action for more than one year before he signed for the Red Eagles.

The former Onduparaka star signed a two-year deal at Express and has played in all the games this season.

“After a full season without active football, all I can say now is that I am back, having played all the four games,” the midfielder told the club’s portal.

“So far it is clear the coach has trusted me which has helped build my confidence and grown gradually in the game. I am grateful that I am playing in this competitive environment and hoping to improve more and more to help my team achieve its goals.”

Etrude said he and his teammates at Wankulukuku are determined to win a title in the end.

“As for the team, we’re all ambitious, we all feel it’s the time to make a positive mark on this great club,” he concluded. “There’s competition in the team, we keep getting better by the day working on things like our endurance and fitness levels.

“So, it’s only a matter of time and just like my mates, the target is to win silverware because everyone has done their part at the club.”

From a possible 12 points, Express have collected eight so far.

Diego Simeone has slammed the 10-week ban given to Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier for betting violations, saying the club have been unfairly punished for something they had nothing to do with.

The 30-year-old was fined £70,000 and banned for 10 weeks, effective immediately, from all football-related activity worldwide.

A Football Association panel found he broke betting rules at the time of his move from Tottenham to Atletico in the summer of 2019.

He is now set to miss 12 games for Simeone’s side, including the Champions League last-16 first leg against Chelsea on February 23 and 12 league fixtures.

Trippier will return in time for the Madrid derby on March 7 and his ban will be over before England’s next scheduled international against San Marino on March 25.

He has been a vital part of Atletico’s side this season, playing every minute in La Liga and the Champions League.

Ahead of their final fixture of 2020 against Getafe on Wednesday Atletico are joint-top of La Liga, level on points with Real Madrid with two games in hand. Third-placed Real Sociedad are six points behind, having played three more games than Simeone’s men.

Now, however, the Argentine will be forced into a tactical rethink – and he believes those in charge at the FA should rethink their response too.

“We think it’s unfair and we hope it can be revised because of the damage done to Atletico,” Simeone told a press conference.

“Atletico obviously have absolutely nothing to do with this situation so we hope it can be re-assessed in some way, because while the FA benefits from this, Atletico is harmed by it and has nothing to do with it.

“But the circumstances are what they are and we’ll have to live with it.”

It has been a busy few days to end the year for Atletico, with the club having terminated the contract of forward Diego Costa ahead of the January transfer window.

The former Chelsea striker, now 32, had made only seven appearances this season and requested the club end his contract early. His deal had been set to expire at the end of the season.

Manchester City are set to carry out three rounds of COVID-19 tests ahead of Sunday’s clash with Chelsea to try to keep control of the outbreak at the club.

City’s Premier League clash with Everton on December 28 was called off just four hours before kick-off after more members of the squad - believed to be three players - tested positive for the virus.

Kyle Walker, Gabriel Jesus and two staff members were already in quarantine, in accordance with government guidelines, after positive test results ahead of the victory over Newcastle on December 26.

City have shut down their first-team training ground at the City Football Academy for “an indeterminate period” following the outbreak.

Players and staff, who are not self-isolating, were pictured driving into the Etihad Campus on Tuesday morning for tests in their cars with results expected on Wednesday. 

There are set to be a further two rounds of tests before Sunday with no decision yet over the possible postponement of the game at Chelsea or the Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester United three days later.

Subsequent postponements would cause a logistical nightmare with City already trying to squeeze into two extra Premier League matches into a tight schedule as well as competing in domestic competitions and the Champions League.

The clash between Everton and City is the second Premier League fixture to be postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak, with Newcastle United's game against Aston Villa also called off earlier in December.

The Toffees have asked for full disclosure from the Premier League over why they decided to postpone the match at such short notice with Everton already starting their pre-match preparations.

A club source told Goal that City's sudden outbreak may have been contracted while in London on December 22 for the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal and are concerned it may be the highly-infectious variant of the disease.

Pep Guardiola’s team travelled to and from the capital, which is now under the government’s most stringent Tier-4 restrictions, on the day of the game to minimise risk. But they spent the afternoon at a hotel to prepare for the match.

Meanwhile, the Premier League has announced the highest number of positive cases since weekly testing began.

"The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 21 December and Sunday 27 December, 1,479 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19," a statement released by the organisation reads. 

"Of these, there were 18 new positive tests. Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days.”

Several fixtures in the English Football League have also been postponed over the festive period, with a total of seven games cancelled on Monday.

ATK Mohun Bagan ended 2020 with a goalless draw against Chennaiyin on Tuesday and climbed to the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) table.

For the first time this season, Antonio Habas' side failed to score a goal in a match but the Spanish coach was not disappointed with the result as he felt that it was better to get one point than to lose all three.

"I am not disappointed. When you cannot win it is better not to lose. The team did not perform well but it is a draw. But at present, ATK Mohun Bagan are at the top of the table and we end the year 2020 being at the top," said the Spaniard.

Wing-back Prabir Das has not started in the last three matches and Habas explained that due to a change in formation, Manvir is being preferred over Das.

"We have been playing Manvir and the team is playing in a different system and formation. Prabir is a very important player for us and he will have his moment. We cannot play everyone in the first eleven. There will be injuries and other problems, you just have to choose the right player at the right moment."

Chennaiyin had quite a few open chances to break the deadlock and had tested the ATK Mohun Bagan defence on several occasions but the coach felt that too many fouls against the Mariners did not allow them to play well.

"We were losing too many balls. I think there were too many fouls against us and it was not possible to progress in the match. It was impossible to play after so many fouls," the Mariners boss signed off.

Young Africans' (Yanga SC) first-choice goalkeeper Metacha Mnata has been overlooked by Tanzania head coach Etienne Ndayiragijje in his African Nations Championship (Chan) squad.

Mnata has been one of the key players for Yanga in the current campaign, where they remain the only side yet to lose a game.

For the goalkeeping duties, the Burundian coach has picked Aishi Manula of Simba SC, Biashara United’s Dan Mgore and their Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC’s) counterpart Juma Kaseja.

Kaseja has maintained his position in the squad despite the rivalry posed by his younger compatriots over the years.

Bakari Mwanyeto, who was signed by Yanga from Coastal Union and has seamlessly stamped his authority on the first team, has been included.

Timu ya Wananchi signed the centre-back to replace Kevin Yondani and he has gone on to fill the position that the 35-year-old defender had at national level as well.

Mwamnyeto is likely to be partnered with Simba’s Erasto Nyoni at the tournament that will be held in Cameroon in January 2021.

In the striking department, John Bocco is the most familiar face and will likely be the man to lead the Taifa Stars' goal-hunting expedition.

Farid Mussa, another key figure at the Jangwani Street giants, has been named as well as Adam Adam of JKT Tanzania, who scored the first hat-trick in the ongoing Mainland Premier League season.

The selected players will join the camp from January 1 and will be involved in two friendly games against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tanzania Full Squad:

Aishi Manula (Simba SC), Juma Kaseja (KMC FC), Dan Mgore (Biashara United, Abdutwalib Mshery (Mtiwa Sugar), Shomari Kapombe (Simba SC), Israel Mwenda (KMC FC), Edward Manyama (Namungo FC), Yassin Mustapha (Young Africans),

Bakari Mwamnyeto (Young Africans), Erasto Nyoni (Simba SC), Aggrey Moris (Azam FC), Carlos Protas (Namungo FC), Said Ndemla (Simba SC), Baraka Majogoro (Mtibwa Sugar), Yussuf Mhilu (Kagera Sugar),

Ayoub Lyanga (Azam FC), Feisal Salum (Young Africans), Rajab Athuman (Gwambina FC), Ditram Nchimbi (Young Africans), Deus Kaseke (Young Africans), John Bocco (Simba SC), Lucas Kikoti (Namungo FC), Farid Mussa (Young Africans), Adam Adam (JKT Tanzania), Dickson Job (Mtibwa Sugar),

Abdulrazack Hamza (Mbeya City U20), Khelfine Salum (Azam U20), Samuel Jackson (Ihefu FC U20), Omari Omari (Tanzania U17), Pascal Gudance (Azam FC U20).

Chennaiyin managed only a draw as against ATK Mohun Bagan in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Tuesday.

Scoring goals has been a major problem for the Marina Machans this season but coach Csaba Laszlo isn't too worried as his team is creating chances in front of goal.

"We again had chances to score two or three goals but this is fantastic if you have so many chances. I am confident that we will continue playing this kind of football we are playing and I am also confident that we will score goals.

"It is actually more difficult to create goal-scoring chances. It was generally a very good match, it was tactically good from my side. I am proud of the boys because playing this game just after two days is not easy."

Instead of focusing on the missed chances, Laszlo decided to pinpoint the positives from the game against ATK Mohun Bagan as he suggested that his team did a commendable job while defending against setpieces.

"Yes, we lost a chance to win but it is not just in this game. Unfortunately, even in the previous game, we had the same scenario. Otherwise, we have taken a step forward in terms of defending setpieces. We completely changed the shape and this worked very well today. The goals will come definitely," said the Chennaiyin manager.

Youngster Deepak Tangri was dropped from the lineup and Laszlo explained why he had to make such a harsh decision. He also heaped praise on Tangri and attacker Rahim Ali.

"It was hard to drop Deepak (Tangri). This was a tactical decision and not because he played badly. He has played in every single game this season and sometimes you need to give the players some rest. Also tactically Memo is a player who can pass the ball better. But for me, Deepak (Tangri) and (Rahim) Ali among the Indian players have developed the most and it is so nice to talk about it."

Skipper Rafael Crivellaro had to leave the pitch in the second-half following a rough challenge from Pronay Halder and the Romanian coach informed that the Brazilian has twisted his ankle.

"We have to see it (injury). He (Rafael Crivellaro) has twisted his angle and now we have to check how bad it is. We hope that it is nothing serious and he comes back soon. With the games coming up in every two or three days, I have to talk to Rafael and the doctors as well. It is always worrying if a player gets injured but I hope it will be alright."

Eden Hazard will make his comeback from injury as Real Madrid face Elche on Wednesday, Zinedine Zidane has confirmed.

Hazard hasn’t played since suffering a thigh strain in Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Deportivo Alaves at the end of November.

The Belgian has only made six appearances in all competitions so far this season, and is yet to complete 90 minutes in 2020-21.

A combination of injuries and a positive coronavirus test have kept him out of action as his time at the Santiago Bernabeu continues to frustrate.

Hazard only managed 22 appearances last season and, while there have been flashes of brilliance, the 29-year-old has failed to replicate the form which earned him his €100 million (£88m/$112m) move from Chelsea in 2019.

But, with Madrid chasing down top spot in La Liga, Zidane says the Belgian will be back on the pitch – for a short while at least.

“Eden will be available tomorrow and we'd like him to just play a little bit,” Zidane said in his pre-match press conference.

“The other day (against Granada) we decided against it but we want him to play tomorrow because he's been back with the team for a while and we want to take advantage of Eden's ability.”

Zidane also says he feels the pain of out-of-favour pair Isco and Marcelo. Both have struggled for playing time this season and have been linked with moves away in the January transfer window.

“I feel their pain when they don't play because they are footballers, and they want to play just like everyone else,” Zidane said.

“They've both done so much here and it's a tough situation but it's the worst part of being a coach. It's my responsibility and that won't change until my final day. It's a difficult spell.”

With the Elche game coming as Madrid’s final match of 2020, Zidane took a moment to reflect on a tumultuous year.

"We're happy and feel grateful to be able to play football because there are people who are having a terrible time with the virus. I think about them a lot and let's hope this becomes just a bad memory and everything starts getting better soon.

“On a sporting level, we'll try and keep doing the best we can. We've got another long, tough year ahead.”

Madrid are level on points with city rivals Atletico at the top of La Liga, but Diego Simeone’s side have two games in hand.

Black Leopards midfielder Ovidy Karuru has challenged himself to “score more goals” this season because they are fed up with fighting against relegation in every Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign.

Since the 2007/08 term, the Limpopo side has been struggling to maintain their top-flight league status.

They have been relegated twice and always narrowly escape relegation, like last season, when they survived the promotion/relegation play-offs.

Karuru, who joined Leopards as a free agent in November, wants that to change as the team is currently placed 15th on the PSL standings with three points more than basement side Maritzburg United.

“For me it’s not about me, it’s about the group. I just want the team to do well and for me if I can score more goals I think I have to do that so that I can help the team achieve their goals,” said Karuru as per Far Post.

“What we have said as a group is that we are tired of fighting relegation or play-offs, we just want to finish at a respectable position, hopefully in the top-eight.”

Leopards’ best-ever finish in the PSL was eighth place in the 2001/02 and 2003/04 seasons.

Karuru is not pleased with where they currently stand on the table, saying they have unnecessarily dropped points in matches they could have easily won.

The former Kaizer Chiefs player has made three appearances in Leopards colours so far and rues not collecting maximum points in the matches he has played.

His has featured in every minute of Lidoda Duvha’s 2-2 draw against Kaizer Chiefs, the 1-1 draw against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and the 2-1 defeat by Swallows FC.

“Yeah it’s not pleasing because at the end of the day we lost seven points,” Karuru said.

“We could have won against Chiefs, we could have managed the game against TTM and against Swallows we could have killed them in the opening 20 minutes because we were all over them.

“But it’s part of football, you win some and you lose some and we just have to raise our heads and keep on going and pushing each other.”

The Zimbabwe international arrived at Leopards and immediately made an impact by grabbing a brace on his debut against his former club Chiefs.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would benefit from an extended spell on the sidelines, according to Lee Dixon, who thinks the Arsenal striker "could come back firing" after a good rest.

Aubameyang scored 25 goals for Arsenal last season, including a double in the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, cementing his status as one of the top strikers in English football in the process.

However, the Gabon international has been unable to live up to the same high standards in 2020-21 with his loss of form coinciding with the Gunners' alarming slip towards the relegation zone.

The 31-year-old, who signed a bumper contract extension through to 2023 in September, has found the net in just three of his 13 Premier League appearances this season and was only named on the bench for the London derby clash with Chelsea at the weekend.

Aubameyang's absence during the 3-1 victory was predominantly down to the fact he has only just recovered from a calf issue, but Dixon thinks he should remain among the substitutes for the next few weeks in order to reflect on his role in the team.

The former Arsenal defender has suggested that Mikel Arteta should stick with the forward-line that delivered a much-needed three points against the Blues, while insisting that Aubameyang is more likely to rediscover his best form if he takes a "step back".

“Nobody is bigger than the club,” Dixon told talkSPORT. “Maybe Mikel Arteta might look at the game at the weekend and say, ‘we did create some chances, we did this’.

“It might just do him [Aubameyang] a bit of good to have a little step out of the team and just look from the sidelines.

“When you watch a game from the sidelines you can sometimes learn more than you do when you’re on the pitch. Your brain is so full of information when you’re playing; you don’t always see everything, you don’t always feel everything.

“He’s obviously a hugely talented footballer and we need his goals, but it might be a time for him just to look and assess the team.

“You can actually see little ways of improving your own game when you’re sitting on the bench, because you’re watching other people and you’re seeing gaps appear from a different angle.

“When I was playing I didn’t analyse Ian Wright’s runs because they just happened, but if you were sitting on the sidelines and watched Thierry Henry or Wrighty or Dennis Bergkamp, you saw an awful lot more and it gives you a bigger and more colourful picture of that player.

“So it might do him a bit of good to step out. If they win their next two games and he doesn’t play then he [could] come back firing. That rest might do him good.”

Arsenal will back in action against Brighton at Amex Stadium on Tuesday night, before their focus shifts to a meeting with West Brom at The Hawthorns on January 2.

Wilfried Zaha expressed his satisfaction after seeing Crystal Palace battle to a 1-1 draw against Leicester City in Monday’s Premier League game.

In the keenly contested affair at Selhurst Park, the Cote d’Ivoire international put the Eagles ahead on 58 minutes after Kelechi Iheanacho had missed a fine chance to hand the visitors a first-half lead via the penalty spot.

The 28-year-old had sent a pass out wide to Andros Townsend, and the Englishman delivered an accurate cross that found him in space, before he unleashed a right-footed volley past Kasper Schmeichel at the near post.

Having in mind that his team had lost to Liverpool (7-0) and Aston Villa (3-0) before the encounter, the former Manchester United man claimed the result was pleasing, albeit, he said Palace had the chance to claim all points at stake.

"I'm happy," Zaha told Crystal Palace website. "Obviously the last couple of games have been tough for us so getting a point today, I feel like we worked hard and could have got all three points. We'll take a point.

"I'll take it. After the last results we got, the way we worked today, I'm definitely happy and I'll take that going into the New Year."

The forward - who has been constantly been linked with a move from Crystal Palace - has long since surpassed his last season’s tally for Roy Hodgson’s men, where he managed four goals in 38 Premier League appearances.

"I'm not trying to think about scoring too much, I'm just trying to make sure I'm playing well and that the chances keep on coming. I'm happy to score my eighth goal but it's all about the team,” he added.

With their latest result, the Eagles climbed to 13th spot on the Premier League log having accrued 19 points from 16 games so far in the 2020-21 season.

Zaha - who boasts of 18 appearances for the West African nation - will hope to continue to find the net again when Hodgson’s team take on Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United on January 2, as his team aims to put an end to their five-game winless streak.

Former Egypt defender and Al Ittihad Alexandria assistant coach Ibrahim Hassan feels that coaching Al Ahly is an easy job and says Pitso Mosimane would struggle by lasting just two games if he takes charge of any other Egyptian Premier League side.

Hassan’s remarks, ironically, came minutes after Al Ittihad were hammered 4-0 by Mosimane's Al Ahly in a league match on Monday.

Following the South African's appointment to lead the Cairo giants in September, he has so far enjoyed a good run of 14 unbeaten matches, including two while not on the bench after testing positive for coronavirus. 

“If Hareth [Al Ahly’s kit man] took charge of Al Ahly, he will win trophies,” Hassan said after the game according to Kingfut.

“If we [Ibrahim and his twin brother Hossam] took charge of Al Ahly we will win trophies. If Pitso coached any other team in the league, he will get sacked after two games. Al Ahly wasn’t good against us in the Egypt Cup nor in their last games nor in the Caf Champions League."

Hassan's expressed his views despite that the fact his twin brother Hossam was heading Al Ittihad's technical bench and was upstaged by Mosimane.

A journeyman in his coaching career, Hossam rarely lasts long at clubs he has taken charge of, his three seasons at Al Masry between July 2015 and October 2018 being the longest he has stayed in a job.

Since taking up his first dugout role in 2008 after retiring as a player, Egypt’s all-time top scorer has been announced as coach at various teams 13 times, including two stints at Zamalek and as many spells at Al Masry.

He is currently Al Ittihad tactician for the third time.

Mosimane, on the other hand, has had a longer coaching career dating back from 2001, but has been in charge of just four teams including a largely successful period at Mamelodi Sundowns from where he attracted Al Ahly.

The South African is yet to taste defeat in 14 games during his time in Cairo, where he ended Al Ahly’s seven-year Caf Champions League trophy drought.

He also guided them to the Egypt Cup and Premier League title as well, which he, however, refused to credit himself much for after taking over a team that had already mathematically won it.

After also having a stint at the helm of SuperSport United and Bafana Bafana, the Al Ahly role is Mosimane’s first outside South Africa.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should drop Anthony Martial for Edinson Cavani according to ex-Manchester United star Paul Parker, who says you never know which version of the French forward is "going to turn up" in matches.

The 2019-20 campaign was Martial's best yet at Old Trafford, as he managed to break the 20-goal mark for the first time since joining United from Monaco in 2015.

The 25-year-old has been unable to carry that form into their latest campaign, and his position in Solskjaer's starting XI has been called into question.

Martial has only managed four goals in 16 appearances across all competitions so far this term, the same as summer signing Cavani who has played three games less and been mainly used as a substitute.

Parker thinks the ex-Paris Saint-Germain marksman deserves to play ahead of the Red Devils' current No.9, as he believes the 33-year-old is the best natural centre-forward the club have had since Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“I’m sceptical about some of the players he [Solskjaer] is leaving on the touchline,” the former United full-back told talkSPORT. “It does worry me that you’re leaving good players on the touchline who you need to get in, get playing consistently and get the best from them.

“Edinson Cavani is one of them. The one thing United have been lacking for quite a few years now is a consistent centre-forward, somebody who knows how to play in that position with their runs, holding up the ball, playing little one-twos and movement in behind.

“United haven’t had that; the only one they’ve had of any note since Sir Alex retired was Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“All Ole is trying to do at the moment is get some consistency in their game, and if players like Cavani – with the levels they have played at – are playing then maybe they will.”

Parker also feels Martial is an unreliable candidate to fill a role on the right-wing in Solskjaer's line up, and he is not sure Mason Greenwood is up to the task either after the teenager's recent scoring dip.

“Marcus Rashford is always going to be in the team on the left-hand side, but the right-hand side is up there for auction at this moment in time," he added.

“People will say young Mason Greenwood, but I still wonder is there going to be enough from him? Everyone will say that he’s young, but you’re only young for a short number of years at Man United before you’re going to have to start showing consistency, and he hasn’t really done that yet.

“You could play Martial there, and he could play anywhere across that forward line, but you never know what Martial is going to turn up for you?

“You’re not getting any show or form and he doesn’t put any consistent runs of performances together.”

Jurgen Klopp will not let the frustrating draw with West Brom distort his impression of a Liverpool team he still regards as "a top group".

The champions have not had it all their own way this season, but they are top of the Premier League again as others try to stay in touch.

After dominating the first half at Anfield against West Brom on Sunday, Liverpool's levels dipped and they had to settle for a 1-1 draw with their visitors.

Klopp's side have not lost in the English top-flight since the 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa on October 4, and they head to Newcastle United on Wednesday looking to end the year on a high note.

In their game prior to the West Brom clash, Liverpool had thrashed Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park.

Klopp said: "I want to win more than anything else, but I had to learn so early in life it doesn't happen all the time. That's completely fine.

"I like winning football games, especially when you deserve to win. To deserve to win [against West Brom] I thought we should have done more things. We ran a lot, we fought a lot, that's all okay but to do more of the right stuff. That's what I told the boys already, I'm not angry with them, that can happen.

"The boys are a top group. They were a top group after winning 7-0, they're a top group after drawing with West Brom, so that doesn't change.

"Maybe the perspective from outside changed, I can imagine that's immediately like this. I'm not a young manager anymore; I can judge these things in the right way.

"We're not happy about [the West Brom outcome], it's the opposite, but now it's over we cannot change that anymore, we can just make sure in the exact situation the same doesn't happen again."

Klopp spoke admiringly of Newcastle striker Callum Wilson and said Steve Bruce's side "have a couple of really good players", predicting a "tough challenge" on Tyneside.

Should Liverpool stumble again, the likes of Manchester United, Everton, Leicester City and Tottenham will take heart, but the Reds have a strong recent record against Wednesday's opponents, having won their last five Premier League battles.

Liverpool have never won six consecutive games against Newcastle in the top flight, and they may note the Magpies have developed a habit of raising their level for home games against reigning champions.

Newcastle have taken eight points from their last four home games against teams in possession of the Premier League trophy, last losing at St James' Park to such a team when they went down 2-0 to Manchester City in August 2014.

Conversely, Liverpool can point to having won their final league game in each of the last six calendar years.

Viv Solomon-Otabor will not be available for Wigan Athletic’s League One encounter against Burton Albion on Tuesday evening.

The 24-year-old has been out injured following his setback in a league outing against Plymouth Argyle on October 24.

In the 1-1 draw against Ryan Lowe’s Pilgrims at the DW Stadium, the Nigeria prospect fell awkwardly on his right ankle six minutes after kick-off, before he was replaced by Will Keane.

Since then he has been out of action - missing fixtures against Milton Keynes Dons, Northampton Town, Blackpool, Chorley, Tranmere Rovers, Oxford United, Bristol Roers, Lincoln City, Sunderland, Accrington Stanley, Rochdale, Fleetwood Town and Shrewsbury Town – as Leam Richardson’s men continue their battle against relegation.

The forward is undergoing treatment for the problem which has kept him out for over eight weeks.

With Richardson’s team set to tackle fellow relegation strugglers at the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday, the club disclosed that Solomon-Otabor alongside Harry McHugh, Gavin Massey, and Lee Evans will play no part against Jake Buxton’s Brewers, while his compatriot Emeka Obi is expected to start from the bench.

“Latics continue to be without midfielder Lee Evans, who has started the rehabilitation on his knee injury, as well as young midfielder Harry McHugh who has been sidelined recently,” a statement from Wigan website read.

“Forward Viv Solomon-Otabor has been progressing with his comeback from a long-term issue, having started gym work over the past couple of weeks, whilst fellow winger Gavin Massey is aiming for a return to action soon.

“Striker Kyle Joseph was a substitute in Latics' 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town on Boxing Day, as Latics made one change from the previous game, with Matty Palmer making his successful comeback from injury against Salop.”

Solomon-Otabor’s contract at the English team will end in January 2021 after joining the DW Stadium giants from Bulgarian side CSKA Moscow.

He arrived at a time when Wigan had faced the agony of relegation from the Championship after going into administration and having 12 points deducted.

On the international scene, the player received his first call up for Nigeria in October 2019, as a replacement for the injured Samuel Kalu for a friendly against Brazil in Singapore, where he was an unused substitute.