Virgil van Dijk admits he is concerned about Liverpool players being distracted by the hype surrounding their push for silverware.
And the Reds captain says he cannot keep everyone in the dressing room away from social media as Arne Slot's Premier League leaders head into their first tricky period of a season.
Wednesday's defeat to Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final followed a surprise draw against Manchester United.
It is the first time they have gone two games without a win under Slot and Van Dijk admits it is a challenge to ignore the anticipation that has built up around a potential quadruple push.
“Don't listen to all the outside noise because at the start of the season no one thought we would be where we are today,” he said. “There's no point in listening.”
But when asked if that could be a big challenge for some members of the squad, Van Dijk added: “Of course, of course it could. Social media is a big thing, a big part of people's lives. I can't control everyone's emotions, but I'll be sure to include it.”
Liverpool play Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup this weekend before visiting high-flying Nottingham Forest in the league next Tuesday. And Van Dijk has no doubt that the Reds, who are also top of the Champions League stage with two games to play, will encounter “more difficult moments” as the intensity increases.
“That's a fact,” he added. 'But we've been there before. That's the great thing about playing for Liverpool. Every match is difficult, the pressure is always on us as players because of the size of the club. You have to embrace it and we are really looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Liverpool play seven more games before hosting Spurs for the second leg on February 6. And while Van Dijk was annoyed that Lucas Bergvall was not sent off before putting Tottenham ahead, he said there is no need to panic when he is one goal behind. .
He added: “We are still over in the draw. Our performances were sometimes good, sometimes not good enough. We have to be better.
“I don't like losing and the way we lost was unnecessary. But we have a chance to make up for it in a few weeks.”
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