Jurgen Klopp has admitted relief at having Curtis Jones back in the squad after the Scouser suffered a number of ‘freak injuries’.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a cameo appearance in the 1-0 win over West Ham midweek as the German rotated his options across the park.
“It’s perfect to have him back. He’s an exceptional player an exceptional talent,” the 55-year-old told reporters at his pre-match press conference.
“In whichever system he plays he can play different positions, which is very helpful.”
The Merseysiders will be hoping to continue their positive upturn in form with a third league win in a row against Steve Cooper’s out-of-form Nottingham Forest side currently languishing at the bottom of the table.
“It’s perfect having him back and hopefully from now on having him back will be very helpful for us,” Klopp added.
Though the Englishman continues to divide the fanbase in terms of his long-term prospects at Anfield, it certainly can’t hurt to have another left-sided midfielder back in the squad to provide an alternative option to Thiago Alcantara.
Klopp’s decision to switch to two-man midfield has worked wonders of late, appearing to get the best out of a troublesome department whilst maximising defensive stability and chances going forward.
Jones may need some time to get fully up to speed again, especially with the demands of his manager’s tweaked system, though his positional versatility is sure to be of benefit to us ahead of the World Cup.
Fans can catch the full press conference below, courtesy of Liverpool’s official YouTube Channel: