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Liverpool have dismissed reports that assistant manager Zeljko Buvac has quit the club – but he will be absent for the rest of the season.

It has been confirmed that Jurgen Klopp will be without his trusted lieutenant as the Reds chase Champions League glory over the closing weeks of the campaign.

However, Anfield officials insist that Buvac, who was at Saturday's game against Stoke City, hasn't stepped down but is spending some time away from the club due to personal reasons.

Liverpool's position is that the club considers the matter to be private and therefore will respect his privacy by not making any further comment.

They say that Buvac remains a Liverpool employee and his position at the club is unaffected by this period of absence.

It's a distraction the Reds could do without as they prepare for Wednesday night's Champions League semi-final second leg against Roma in Italy.

Klopp and Buvac have worked together for the past 17 years with the Liverpool boss hailing the 56-year-old Bosian Serb as “the brain” of his backroom staff with fellow assistant Peter Krawietz described as “the eye”.

Buvac played alongside Klopp at Mainz in the early 1990s and they were reunited at the German club in 2001 when Buvac accepted the opportunity to become assistant manager under Klopp.

(Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

They enjoyed great success together as Mainz were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time and earned European qualification.

In 2008 Buvac moved with Klopp to Borussia Dortmund and helped lead them to back-to-back titles. They also reached the Champions League final in 2013.

Buvac followed Klopp to Anfield in October 2015 and is highly respected by the players.