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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ben Bloom

‘In football, no fear. Never’: Lopetegui urges West Ham to take battle to Liverpool

The West Ham manager, Julen Lopetegui, shouts instructions during the win against Southampton.
Julen Lopetegui knows West Ham have won just one of their past 16 Premier League meetings with Liverpool. Photograph: James Marsh/Shutterstock

Julen Lopetegui has urged West Ham to have no fear against Liverpool on Sunday despite the absence of six first-choice players from the game against the league leaders amid a growing injury crisis.

With his job on the line after the defeat by Leicester at the start of December, Lopetegui has eased the pressure slightly over the festive period, with the 1-0 Boxing Day triumph at Southampton making it four games without defeat. That hard-fought win came at a cost, however. Lukasz Fabianski departed the field in a neck brace after a nasty head collision and is sure to miss the Liverpool match, although Lopetegui confirmed the goalkeeper was conscious and talking in the changing room after the match.

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