Jurgen Klopp has dropped a very encouraging update on two Liverpool players who’ve been sidelined with injury in recent weeks.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota haven’t featured since mid-February due to their respective knee injuries, while Alisson Becker has been out for a similar period and Stefan Bajcetic is closing in on a return after a seven-month absence (Evening Standard).
The Reds manager was asked for an update on the injured members of his squad in today’s press conference ahead of the Europa League clash against Atalanta at Anfield, and he had particularly positive updates on the vice-captain and Portugal attacker.
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When asked if there’s a chance of them featuring tomorrow night, Klopp replied (via Liverpool Echo): “We’ll have to see that. We didn’t rush it with the boys. Diogo and Trent worked as a group for two or three weeks and could do proper training. They looked very good yesterday.
“Stefan is different a little bit because he was out for much longer. It might make sense to give him a game for the under-21s. Alisson is on his way back as well. They are now back in training and now we’ll see how we involve them.”
Klopp added that the goalkeeper hasn’t resumed ‘full training’ as of yet, so his return may be another few days away.
Whether Jota and Trent will be fit enough to make the matchday squad tomorrow night remains to be seen, as Klopp has stressed that he doesn’t want to rush them back, but it’s a very positive indicator that he didn’t explicitly rule them out of the fixture.
The vice-captain may be held in reserve for another match or two in deference to the thriving Conor Bradley, although the Portuguese winger might be given minutes against Atalanta if he’s able to play, with Luis Diaz, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez having had virtually no rest in recent weeks.
If the European game comes a bit too soon for the impending returnees, there’s a good chance that they might make their comeback against Crystal Palace on Sunday, by which stage the Reds could be nudged down to third in the Premier League table should Manchester City beat Luton the previous afternoon.
The incredible ball-playing quality of Trent and cold-blooded finishing of Jota will make Liverpool an even stronger proposition during the final six weeks of the season, and the importance of their returns can’t be overstated. Seeing either or both of them in action tomorrow would be a massive boost for us.