Liverpool must gang up on Chelsea dangerman Diego Costa in Friday showdown says Jurgen Klopp

Reds boss warns stopping revitalised striker who has four goals in as many league games this season will be a team effort, not just his likely marker Joel Matip's job

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Costa looks back to his best after a disappointing 2015-16 season for him and Chelsea

How do you solve a problem like Diego? By refusing to be drawn into an individual fight with him.
That is the theory of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, whose plan will be put to the ultimate physical test on Friday night by Chelsea striker Diego Costa , who has started the season on fire... and fired up.
Asked whether or not summer-signing defender Joel Matip can handle the intimidating fight that Costa brings to his opponents so early in his Premier League career, boss Klopp answered bluntly:
“Alone? Not. How could he? That’s not possible. What does the centre-half do when the number nine drops into midfield all the time? Go with him and leave a gap open for Hazard? That’s not how defending works.
“After the game, if we said, 'Matip had a problem with Costa', then we had 10 other problems, because that cannot be the plan.”

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Matip has impressed at centre-half since his belated start to the campaign after a pre-season injury, but the Reds' boss is determined that the Cameroon international will not be left in a one-on-one scrap with Costa.
The Chelsea striker has seemed rejuvenated since the arrival of Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge, and so the German will send his side into the fascinating showdown with the message that everyone must take the fight to Costa.

“Hopefully, he (Matip) doesn’t play alone against him. You have to work together,” he explained of Liverpool’s tactics.
“You cannot defend Costa alone. That’s not possible. You need help from the other six, the other four, whatever.

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Matip is still adjusting to English football after his summer move from Germany's Schalke

“There are different ways to play.
"There is a direct way to play to Costa, in between the lines like they did in the second half against Swansea a lot, because Costa was in a fighting mood with all balls and coming into midfield and taking the ball.”

Matip will still be key though, even if Klopp insists that there is still a lot more to come from the former Schalke defender who has made only two Premier League starts so far in his new Liverpool career.
“He’s done good. But I would say he’s still not at 100 per cent fitness because he had a difficult pre-season,” the manager added.
“The start was okay, but his summer break was difficult. He couldn’t train in the break and for a tall guy like this fitness is a very decisive thing. It all looked a bit difficult. But he is not like this now. He’s a really smooth player and flexible and mobile in a very good way.”
In pictures — Liverpool train for Friday's trip to Chelsea:

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While defence will be the key against Chelsea and the dual threat of Costa and Hazard, Klopp believes his strike force could take Liverpool towards their top four ambitions this season.
The manager insisted he simply couldn’t find any available strikers in the summer to improve on what he already has, and while the group of Firmino, Sturridge, Mane, Origi and Ings may not be the best around, it can be the most deadly.

“We have the only attacking options I want,” he explained.
"When I thought what I had to do in the transfer window, I always heard about ‘We have to sign this striker or this kind of striker’. It’s really difficult out there to find better strikers. It’s really difficult to find available strikers who are better than ours.

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Klopp says there is no strikeforce he's rather have than the one he's got...

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...after watching Liverpool score 14 goals in the season's first five matches

“But it’s not about having the best, it’s about doing the best. I am happy with the squad.”

Klopp will have Dejan Lovren back to partner Matip, and fit-again keeper Loris Karius will be involved.

PROBABLE TEAMS

Chelsea Courtois; Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Matic, Kante; Hazard, Oscar, Willian; Costa.
Liverpool Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Matip, Milner; Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mane, Coutinho, Lallana; Firmino.