Jurgen Klopp says Arthur Melo is ready for his Liverpool debut at Napoli but warned it will take time for the new midfielder to get fully up to speed at Anfield. Arthur has only been training properly with his new team-mates since Monday and while Klopp says he could be called upon in Naples, he dismissed suggestions of a prolonged spell in the side until he is 100% match fit having not undertaken a real pre-season due to being left off Juventus’ summer tour.
Jurgen Klopp said: “Now Arthur needs just football now and training especially, that’s how it is. He wasn’t in team training for a while at Juve and so he needs proper team training and that’s what we’re doing. Can he play minutes? Yes. Should he play a full game? No. He needs to get used to the intensity in each competition, it is not like a Champions League game means you have to work less than the Premier League, not at all, especially not here [at Napoli]. He’s doing well, he’s really giving his all in training and we have to be careful with him as well. We’ll see if we can use him.”
It’s Klopp’s fourth time visiting Naples for a Champions League tie and he is without a win having been beaten twice as Reds boss in 2018 and 2019 after defeat as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2013. The Serie A side have something of a new look about them this term having lost Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens, Fabian Ruiz and Lorenzo Insigine over the summer and the long-serving Marek Hamsik in 2019.
Jurgen Klopp added: “They are a young team but they are all good. I’m not 100% sure but I think not too long ago there was a nervous situation around Napoli when players left for different reasons, now it’s settled again. I am really happy with the people here. One player who always stayed was Zielinski and you could build around him. It’s a really interesting project I have to say. Good football with an intense style, different approaches, so they are really good, I have to say. Luciano Spalletti as a coach, no-one should be pretty surprised.”
