Liverpool
Liverpool Team News: Klopp Confirms Double Injury Boost + Sturridge Latest
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed a double injury boost ahead of Liverpool clash with Newcastle while he’s also given the latest on Daniel Sturridge.
Liverpool will look to get back to winning ways when they take on West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
Ahead of the game, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s given Liverpoolfc.com a team news and injury update.
The German coach was pleased to confirm that Mamadou Sakho returned to full first team training on Friday after finally overcoming a knee injury that he sustained against Crystal Palace back in early November.
The French international will continue to work on his fitness over the coming days and as long as he doesn’t suffer any set-back, Klopp revealed that the centre-back will be back in contention for the trip to Watford next Sunday.
In a double boost, the Reds boss also confirmed that Jordon Ibe is training again after missing the 0-0 draw at FC Sion on Thursday due to illness and the 20-year-old should be back in the squad for tomorrow’s clash with West Brom.
Klopp told the clubs website:
“Mama has trained now. He had his first session with the team yesterday and if nothing happens, he has to go on and carry on with training. That’s what he needs now.
“There are no more issues with the knee and everything is okay, now he has to work to be a real option for us. Next week for sure, he will be available if nothing more happens.”
“Jordon feels than better than he did three days ago,” said the boss.
“Yesterday we took him out onto the pitch but only for a bit of warming up and a little bit of running to help him feel a little bit better after this ‘cold’ – it was a little bit more than that.
“We’ll see how last night was for him when I see him, and then we’ll know more. I think he will be available for the squad.”
It will be a huge boost for Liverpool to have Sakho available again next week but the Frenchman may have a job regaining his place at the back as Dejan Lovren has impressed alongside Martin Skrtel in his absence.
Klopp also gave another update on the situation surrounding Daniel Sturridge after the injury-plagued striker was sidelined yet again having suffered a hamstring injury during last Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
The Liverpool boss reiterated that given the strikers injury record, the club plans to put him through a specific training programme to ensure he can remain injury free for as long as possible upon his return.
Klopp continued:
“We have to train with him and make sessions with him as soon as he’s prepared for them,”
“At this moment, he trains aerobically and it’s very important to give him a better base than he had before and that he can work on this.
“I said before Southampton with the last injury, that is the history and the situation with players who have been injured for a long time.
“We have to train, that’s all, and to give him more resistance for the intensity of football. That’s what we’ll do together with him.”
I think it’s obvious by now that Sturridge needs an individual training programme as his body just doesn’t seem capable of staying fit for prolonged periods and Liverpool just can’t rely on his staying free of injury.
However, Sturridge’s talent is beyond question and he’s a world class player when on the pitch, so hopefully he can get himself fit again soon and play a major role during the second half of the season.
