Jurgen Klopp has been handed a welcome fitness boost after confirming that two Liverpool players could both be in contention to return to action against Crystal Palace.
There are still eight players that remain in the treatment room, with several missing Liverpool’s entire pre-season schedule.
Caoimhin Kelleher, Ibrahima Konate, Calvin Ramsay, Thiago, Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kaide Gordon and Diogo Jota are all still out of action, but Klopp has revealed two players could make their returns at Anfield on Monday.
Naby Keita, who missed the Reds’ Premier League opener with Fulham due to illness, is available again, while Kostas Tsimikas is also due to join training on Friday.
“We have now, in the moment, definitely too many injuries, that’s clear,” Klopp told reporters at the AXA Training Centre.
“A couple of boys are coming back. Naby will be back for Monday and Kostas will train today for the first time, so he might be back as well.”
The Liverpool boss went on to add that the injury Thiago sustained against Fulham “does not look good,” remaining coy on his potential return date.
Kelleher, Ramsay and Gordon missed the Reds’ entire pre-season preparations, with the club hoping they’ll be able to return to action in the coming weeks.
The same applies to Jota, who suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury during the Reds’ pre-season tour of Asia.
Centre-back Konate sustained a knee injury in Liverpool’s final pre-season friendly against Strasbourg and looks set for at least a month on the sidelines.
Oxlade-Chamberlain sustained a serious hamstring injury against Crystal Palace in Singapore, and Jones’ calf injury is expected to keep him out for between two and four weeks.
Despite the injuries, Klopp has told reporters “it doesn’t look like” the Reds will make further signings before the end of the transfer window.
