Liverpool star Dejan Lovren says lockdown is a mental struggle for players

Anfield defender trying to stay focused on the title amid the pandemic

July 26, 2020, Newcastle 1 Liverpool 3: Liverpool players celebrate during the last game of the season. Reuters

July 22, 2020, Liverpool 5 Chelsea 3: Naby Keita celebrates scoring the first goal with Georginio Wijnaldum. Reuters

July 15, 2020, Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1: Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk in action against Arsenal's Reiss Nelson. EPA

July 11, 2020, Liverpool 1 Burnley 1: Manager Jurgen Klopp reacts as Liverpool lose their 10-0 per cent home record. AFP

July 8, 2020, Brighton 1 Liverpool 3: Mohamed Salah and teammate Sadio Mane in action against Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan and Dan Burn. EPA

July 5, 2020, Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 0: Curtis Jones celebrates scoring his team's second goal. AFP

July 2, 2020, Manchester City 4 Liverpool 0: Manchester City's Raheem Sterling celebrates with Kevin De Bruyne on a bad night for Liverpool. EPA

June 24, 2020, Liverpool 4 Crystal Palace 0: Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring the final goal. EPA

June 21, 2020, Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Jordan Henderson speaks to his manager Jurgen Klopp after the Mersey derby stalemate, the first game post lockdown. EPA

March 7, 2020, Liverpool 2 Bournemouth 1: James Milner celebrates after a win that takes the club even closer to the Premier League trophy - before the season came to a three-month halt. Reuters

February 29, 2020, Watford 3 Liverpool 0: A shock defeat; Jurgen Klopp, defender Andrew Robertson and midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the final whistle. AFP

Ferbruary 24, 2020, Liverpool 3 West Ham 2: Sadio Mane celebrates scoring the late winner after Liverpool came from 2-1 behind. EPA

February 15, 2020, Norwich City 0 Liverpool 1: Sadio Mane scores the only goal to take Liverpool 25 points clear. Reuters

February 01, 2020, Liverpool 4 Southampton 0: Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring the third. Reuters

January 29, 2020, West Ham 0 Liverpool 2: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is delighted after netting the second goal. Reuters

January 23, 2020, Wolves 1 Liverpool 2: Roberto Firmino (R) celebrates with Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk after scoring the second. AFP

January 19, 2020, Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0: Mohamed Salah celebrates after netting the second goal. Getty

January 11, 2020, Tottenham 0 Liverpool 1: Roberto Firmino celebrates with Xherdan Shaqiri. Reuters

January 2, 2020, Liverpool 2 Sheffield United 0: Sadio Mane, left, celebrates after scoring his team's second goal at Anfield. Reuters

December 29, 2019, Liverpool 1 Wolves 0: Jurgen Klopp and Trent Alexander-Arnold at the end of another win at Anfield. Getty

December 26, 2019, Leicester 0 Liverpool 4: James Milner celebrates after scoring the second goal with Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum at The King Power Stadium. Getty

December 14, 2019, Liverpool 2 Watford 0: Trent Alexander-Arnold takes a corner. Getty

December 7, 2019, Bournemouth 0 Liverpool 3: Naby Keita nets the second goal at Vitality Stadium. Getty

December 4, 2019, Liverpool 5 Everton 2: Sadio Mane scores the fourth goal in the Mersey derby. Getty

November 30, 2019, Liverpool 2 Brighton 1: Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring the second goal at Anfield. Getty

November 23, 2019, Crystal Palace 1 Liverpool 2: Roberto Firmino scores his team's second goal at Selhurst Park. Getty

November 10, 2019, Liverpool 3 Manchester City 1: Mohamed Salah celebrates with teammates after scoring the second goal at Anfield. Getty

November 2, 2019, Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2: Divock Origi watches a Sadio Mane shot cross the line for the second goal. Getty

October 27, 2019, Liverpool 2 Tottenham 1: Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring the second goal from a penalty. Getty

October 20, 2019, Manchester United 1 Liverpool 1: Adam Lallana celebrates after scoring at Old Trafford. Getty

October 5, 2019, Liverpool 2 Leicester 1: James Milner celebrates with Jordan Henderson, Divock Origi and Andy Robertson after scoring the second goal from the penalty spot. Getty

September 28, 2019, Sheffild United 0 Liverpool 1: Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates scoring at Bramall Lane. PA

September 22, 2019, Chelsea 1 Liverpool 2: Roberto Firmino celebrates with teammates after scoring the second goal at Stamford Bridge. Getty

September 14, 2019, Liverpool 3 Newcastle 1: Sadio Mane scores the first goal past Martin Dubravka. Getty

Ausgust 31, 2019, Burnley 0 Liverpool 3: Sadio Mane is tackled by Jack Cork at Turf Moor. Getty

August 24, 2019, Liverpool 3 Arsenal 1: Joel Matip celebrates in front of the Kop after scoring the opening goal. Getty

August 17, 2019, Southampton 1 Liverpool 2: Adrian saves a shot from Jannik Vestergaard at St Mary's Stadium. Getty

August 9, 2019, Liverpool 4 Norwich 1: Mohamed Salah scores the second goal on the opening day of the season at Anfield. Getty

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren says staying focused on the Premier League title race during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown has been more of a mental battle despite all efforts to maintain physical fitness,

"It hasn't been easy as we have been locked up in our homes for 46 days now," the Croatia international told Balkan sports website Sportske Novisti.

"The psychological aspect is the most difficult to overcome. I work out on my own as much as I can, I kick the ball around a bit with my son on our lawn, but training with the team is totally different."

The league, which has been suspended since March 9, remains in limbo and unable to take any steps until any government decision next week on possible changes to lockdown restrictions.

All 20 clubs held a conference call on Friday in which they looked at plans for a resumption of training later in May followed by a possible return to competitive action in June.

During the meeting, the clubs were informed that an eventual resumption of matches would only see them play only at neutral venues approved from a health and safety point of view.

Liverpool, who are on the verge of sealing their first league title since 1990, are top of the table on 82 points from 29 games, 25 ahead of second-placed champions Manchester City who have a game in hand.

Lovren acknowledged it was difficult to get excited by the daily routine under the circumstances.

"I try to stay motivated any way I can. I get up in the morning and tell myself 'I am going to get knackered in training today' and at least I've managed to lose some weight," he said.

"But I've also lost some mass on my legs because there is no substitute for a 90-minute team training session. You can't do an indoor exercise on your legs for 90 minutes."

The 30-year old Bosnian-born centre-back also expressed hope the season would resume in a timely manner so as to not disrupt the calendar more than the coronavirus pandemic already has.

"I hope (UEFA President) Aleksander Ceferin and all the other people from UEFA and FIFA will come up with a solution so that we don't get into a situation of having to play 15 games in 30 days," he said.

"We need time off. This hasn't really been time off because the players will need to recover mentally from the pandemic and the resultant quarantine."