Liverpool
Liverpool Handed Quadruple Injury Boost Ahead Of Man City Clash + Sturridge Update
Jurgen Klopp has offered a full team news and injury update ahead of Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on Saturday night.
Jurgen Klopp has offered a full team news and injury update ahead of Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on Saturday night.
The German coach was pleased to reveal that skipper Jordan Henderson is on course to return to training next week after finally recovering from a broken foot that he suffered way back in mid-August.
The England international won’t be available for this weekend’s clash with Premier League leaders City but as long as the rest of his recovery goes smoothly, the midfielder could be back in contention to face Swansea next weekend or the trip to Southampton four days later.
Klopp also offered a positive update on Mamadou Sakho after revealing that the centre-back’s knee injury is not as bad as first feared. The Frenchman was forced off just before half-time during Liverpool’s defeat to Crystal Palace two weeks ago and was initially expected to be out for up to eight weeks.
However, Klopp has now confirmed that Sakho is now set to make a swift return to action – although he stopped short of giving any specific time-frame.
In a further boost, the Liverpool supremo revealed to Liverpoolfc.com that James Milner has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available to face his former side while Kolo Toure and Jordon Ibe have overcome hamstring and knee injuries to put themselves in contention for the trip to the Etihad.
Klopp also confirmed that young midfielder Jordan Rossiter will begin training on Sunday after recovering from a hamstring injury but he won’t play any part against City this weekend.
He told the clubs website:
“[Henderson] is in a really good way,”
“Next week, maybe parts of team training, we will see. But he’s in a really good way.
“Mama is good news. It’s not that serious as we thought in the first moment.
“We don’t want to give you a time – you can ask every day – but it’s not Christmas 2016! So that’s good. Between now and 2016! [Laughs] It’s good news, it’s not too serious.”
“He [Rossiter] will start on Sunday with normal team training. He finishes his rehab tomorrow and will be in team training on Sunday.”
As we reported earlier, Daniel Sturridge has declared himself fit and available for selection after recovering from a knee injury that’s seen him sit-out of Liverpool previous seven matches.
Predictably Klopp was asked for an update on the striker at his press conference this afternoon and although he confirmed the 26-year-old is now considered fit, he confirmed he’ll make a late decision on his inclusion against City this weekend.
Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:
“He is as fit as he can be after this long break. He has trained with us.
“Of course he is not at 100 per cent, so now we will have to see.
“I don’t know what I will do tomorrow when I name the squad. I have to think about it.
“His quality is outstanding, we don’t have to talk about it, but like everybody he needs training.
“Today was his third full exercise with the team after four-and-a-half to five weeks break.
“But as a striker sometimes five minutes are enough, so we’ll have to see. I have to decide this tomorrow – and I’ll start thinking about it after the press conference.”
So Liverpool’s injury woes are slowly subsiding and they should have several key players back available again over the coming weeks.
The Merseysiders go into the weekend action looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace before the international break but will face a tough test away to league leaders Manchester City.
