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Jurgen Klopp: Xherdan Shaqiri Will Not Play vs. Red Star over Reception Concerns

Jurgen Klopp has explained that Xherdan Shaqiri will not make the trip with Liverpool to face Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday amid concerns he will receive a hostile reception.

Shaqiri was fined by FIFA for making an Albanian "double-eagle" gesture while celebrating Switzerland's 2-1 win over Serbia at the 2018 World Cup, and Klopp wants the focus in Tuesday's match to be on football.

He told Liverpool's official website:

"We have heard and read the speculation and talk about what kind of reception Shaq would receive and although we have no idea what would happen, we want to go there and be focused 100 per cent on football and not have to think about anything else, that's all.