Jurgen Klopp’s latest fitness update on three of Liverpool’s star players has made it difficult to come up with a solid prediction as to what team will lineup to face Manchester United on Sunday.
He has shed light on the progress of Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip and Philippe Coutinho, who made his comeback from a lengthy injury layoff during the midweek League Cup semi-final defeat to Southampton.
All three will be needed more than ever at this stage with the Reds facing a busy month of football.
In his pre-match press conference, Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com: “They all were in training yesterday, so [we have] to wait on how they reacted to the training yesterday then we have to make decisions.
“The last game was only two days ago and so we have to wait for the reaction of those players, too, and then we make a line-up.
“But of course they are much closer than they were before any other game in the last few weeks, so that’s good.”
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Sunday’s match-up poses as our biggest game of the season so far which is why the return of important players could not come at a better time.
Coutinho only needed 30 minutes against Southampton to remind Reds fans of the spark he brings to this team. It wasn’t a sparkling cameo but it was enough to demonstrate the constant threat he poses and his desire to get himself on the ball as much as possible.
The imminent return of Henderson and Matip promises to bolster the spine of this team and restore calm through the side. Both have been missed and having at least one of them fit for the weekend would be a significant boost to our chances.