Liverpool are set to face Ajax without several players missing through injury but Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the removal of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the Champions League squad may have been a mistake.
Speaking with the media in Amsterdam, the German was talking about the importance of easing players back into the squad after injury but the difficulties he’s had in doing that in this campaign – thus leading to more fitness issues.
READ MORE: (Video) Jurgen Klopp’s two-word Thiago update ahead of Ajax match
The 55-year-old said: “With Naby, he needs to train. Oxlade, needs to train. They are both not in the Champions League squad anyway because everybody told me they would be out for longer but now they are back, which is good. Not back to play but back to be around and to play a few minutes”.
It doesn’t appear as though the pair would be ready to fill the position of Thiago Alcantara inside the Johan Cruijff ArenA but they are certainly a lot further along their comeback than the manager was told they would be.
You can view Klopp’s Thiago update (from 30:55) via Liverpool FC on YouTube: