MY ACCOUNT
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that goalkeeper Alisson is nearing a return from injury, though he will not feature in the Reds’ friendly with Salzburg on Wednesday.
The Brazil international suffered an abdominal injury in his side’s pre-season match with Manchester United two weeks ago, but he is now close to being back between the sticks.
It comes at a good time for Liverpool, with a game on Saturday against Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley rapidly approaching.
Klopp’s squad update came ahead of the game with Salzburg, who have already started their league season with a victory and sit top of the table after the opening round of fixtures.
“The season in Austria started already so they are obviously at a completely different stage to us. We will feel that,” Klopp told the club’s website.
“We have three days later our big starting game of the season [v City]. So, of course we will have to make changes.
“This afternoon is an important session as well; in this moment I don’t know who can take part in it. We need to have a look and we will play the game. It’s pre-season so we have to get through it and then we have to deal with it.
“Obviously Diogo [Jota] is not here, that’s clear, but from the boys who are injured but are here, [Alisson] is the closest – definitely not for Salzburg but then we will see. He is close to getting back I think.”
The former Borussia Dortmund head coach was also asked whether players would play 90 minutes in the Community Shield, to which Klopp replied: “That’s not a problem with the Saturday game.
“This pre-season we had to do slightly different and we wanted to do as well. All of them will play for the first time 90 minutes on Saturday, all of them. But that’s how we did the training.
“For City, it’s not really different, they came back from America probably yesterday or something like that. So it will be a tough one.”
