Jurgen Klopp calls on Liverpool to 'do it for the people' against Man United - but insists he is wary of a backlash from Erik ten Hag's side after their European exit

Jurgen Klopp has urged his Liverpool team to show up against Manchester United and ‘do it for the people’, but the German manager is wary of facing a backlash from Erik ten Hag’s heavily-scrutinised side.

The Reds enter the weekend as league leaders and are heavy favourites to beat bitter rivals United, who were eliminated from European football on Tuesday. But Klopp is keen to block out the ‘noise’ and not underestimate a side whose boss won November’s manager of the month.

‘It is a home game, it is for the people, we know what it means,’ said Klopp, whose team lost a meaningless Europa League clash at Belgian league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday. ‘No-one would expect us not to care. We care a lot.

‘We cannot go nuts before the game already. We have to start the game properly. There is space to improve in our football. One of our best games was against Aston Villa and they are obviously flying through the league. They had a problem against us, at least.

‘I do not like all this talk around it (United). It is always like this. The more bad things people say about them, the stronger they will show up. That is always the case. I don’t like that. We are in our own stadium, we have to create an atmosphere and go for them.’

Klopp’s desire for a good atmosphere will be boosted by the fact that the new top tier in the Anfield Road Stand will be open for the first time since its £80million development. It means the attendance will be towards 57,000, with 4,000 seats - mainly hospitality - still to be finished.

‘I don't follow United closely enough to know exactly what the problem is there but I saw Ten Hag was manager of the month last month,’ added Klopp. ‘And they were the team in form in the last month so how can it be all wrong? I just don't understand it.

‘We must play a football game against the historical rival of Liverpool at home at Anfield and that itself must make it a special game and that's what I want to see from us, a special game. To really understand the situation and give your all, that's all I need.’

Klopp will be without several key men such as midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who needed stitches in his knee after a nasty tackle at Sheffield United. The prognosis is worse than first feared but not a serious injury, with him likely to return in the next fortnight.