Jurgen Klopp reveals Alisson fitness concern ahead of Leeds clash

Forum 1 year ago

Jurgen Klopp reveals Alisson fitness concern ahead of Leeds clash

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that goalkeeper Alisson has missed training over the past few days but the Brazilian should be ready to face Leeds on Monday.

The Reds are enduring a tough period and have relied on the excellent performances of their goalkeeper at times, with only Brentford's David Raya, Fulham's Bernd Leno and Everton's Jordan Pickford making more saves than Alisson in the Premier League this season.

To add to the scare, Klopp also confirmed that centre-back Ibrahima Konate has not been training either, but insisted the duo will be back with the team on Friday.

"We had a couple of problems this week: Ibou couldn’t train for two days, should be back today hopefully, Ali wasn’t involved for two days, will train today individually," Klopp told a press conference. "So, a little bit illness here, a little bit knocks there.

"We had a few problems and hopefully will not get more, but if they are all in then I think we have five or six players not in the [matchday] squad. It’s a lot and they are all training well. It would be easy for me if somebody is not showing up then it’s a very easy decision, but there are no easy decisions for who stays at home and stuff like this. So that’s tough for a few boys but really good for us. We never had that and that’s positive."

Midfielder Thiago Alcantara is in line for a return to the starting lineup but the biggest comeback of the week is that of winger Luis Diaz, who will finally be back in the Liverpool squad after six months out with a knee injury.

"He’s 100% ready in training so that’s it now," Klopp said of Diaz. "He is now completely normal in training and now we have to reintegrate him. He will be in the squad, if nothing happens Luis will be in the squad and from there we go. That’s it.

"Yeah, absolutely it is [like having a new signing]. Luis, he developed massively. In that time his English is getting better, so he is really settled. He was here every day – how it is with injured players and especially long-term injured players, they are even more at the training ground than all the others, so every day together with therapists and stuff like this. He really matured again, he is much more comfortable than he was in the beginning with everything in a new country, so that’s really good and it will help him as well. So, we are really happy to have him back.

"He is like a breath of fresh air every day he is in training. He loves it out there, I said in the beginning when he came that he cannot train without a smile on his face and that’s something really special and that’s exactly how he acts now. But he was out for a long time, it was not his season so far.

"Last week we played against Arsenal, the game before against Arsenal, the away game, was the game he got injured so a long time ago. Then one session in Dubai, out again, and now being back – it’s really a long time. But it’s absolutely fine – he didn’t lose his skills, that’s good, but how I said we have to see how step by step we can bring him back into the team."