Jurgen Klopp is confident Darwin Nunez will not be riled by any Goodison provocation as the Liverpool boss considers handing the returning striker a derby debut.
Nunez will compete with in-form Roberto Firmino for a starting role up front in Saturday's 241st Merseyside showdown at neighbours Everton in the Premier League.
The £64million summer signing has served a three-match suspension having been sent off barely an hour into his Anfield debut last month after a running battle with Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen ended with him headbutting the Denmark international.
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp delighted as several Liverpool players on verge of return from injury
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp jokes over Darwin Nunez Liverpool warning for Merseyside derby
That incident has raised inevitable questions over the temperament of the 23-year-old, with the Goodison crowd likely to target the Uruguay international for particular attention.
Klopp, though, doesn't expect the Everton defence to look to deliberately provoke Nunez - and believes they would be wasting their time doing so in any case.
"He is a wonderful young man, honestly, but he has emotions as well," said the Liverpool boss. "We didn’t speak for the full 15 days to him about it (the red card) telling him 'you have to calm down'. Of course we told him, not only now but now especially (against Everton).
"I think Luis Suarez told him, I'm not sure they spoke privately but probably they did via news and using some media. That will happen but it happens to others as well, that's how it is, you just have to ignore it and use it. Our ideas and how we want to think in these situations is that we pay back with football.
"I don’t think (James) Tarkowski and (Conor) Coady are famous for too much this kind of talking during the game. Most of the things he doesn’t understand anyway, but you don’t have to be too creative with it. I don't think the two boys are like this, but who knows? We will see."
Klopp has instead urged Nunez - who had previously been sent off only once in his career for two bookable offences - to use any physical attention to his advantage as he aims to resume a burgeoning Liverpool beginning that saw him net in each of his first two games.
"If Darwin plays then he has to be ready for these things definitely, that is clear," said Klopp. "But when a player is talking to you a lot or is really physical, then he is not in his own game, and he (Nunez) has to use these kind of moments as well. If the other one is too busy wanting to distract him, you just have to use it from a football point of view.
"For the Crystal Palace game, when the defender is searching for this constant contact, then go from there and you decide when you start the movement, these kind of things."
Assessing the red card, Klopp added: "It was a lot that came together for the boy. It is all new, it was has first home game, it was a lot of excitement, the emotional level you go into a game is already here (holds hand up high), so you don’t need a lot to be a bit too emotional.
"The two weeks (training without playing) helped for sure, you can see it. Will it never happen again? I don't know, but I am pretty sure nothing will happen in the next game."
Jordan Henderson will miss his first Goodison derby under Klopp due to a hamstring problem that forced him off during Wednesday's 2-1 home win over Newcastle United, the skipper joining Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Calvin Ramsay and Ibrahima Konate on the sidelines.
James Milner, Curtis Jones and Fabio Carvalho are vying to replace Henderson in midfield, although new loan signing Arthur Melo is still waiting on international clearance. Diogo Jota could make the bench for the first time this season after returning to training on Thursday, with centre-back Joel Matip pressing for a start.
READ NEXT
