Liverpool are preparing to face Serie A side Atalanta on Thursday night in the Europa League quarter-finals and boss Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media ahead of the first-leg clash at Anfield.
Attention switches from the title race in the Premier League to a potential last hurrah in Europe for Klopp as Liverpool look to give the German gaffer some European silverware in his final few weeks as manager.
But they come up against an Atalanta side that boast plenty of star quality in Gianluca Scamacca, Charles De Ketelaere and of course, a player linked with the Reds in the form of midfielder Teun Koopmeiners.
Klopp could be about to welcome back a handful of injured stars, like Diogo Jota – who is back in training after the best part of two months out injured. Alexander-Arnold is slowly coming back from a knee issue.
Trent Alexander-Arnold could be fit for Liverpool v Atalanta
The England star picked up the issue in January, but tried to return early and aggravated the issue in a win over Burnley – in which he scored. He was subbed off at half-time. But he is slowly returning to fitness.
He has now missed nine games in all competitions, seven of which came in the Premier League and then both legs against Sparta Prague – a tie in which Liverpool clocked up a huge 11-2 aggregate scoreline.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference as per the club’s website, Klopp discussed the chances of Alexander-Arnold featuring – saying it is the star’s worst injury since the German arrived at Anfield.
What Jurgen Klopp has said about Alexander-Arnold’s injury
Klopp said: “They need time to get up to speed again. They are happy that we are still in the situation we are in. I don’t know exactly how long they were out for. Trent was the longest since I’ve known him I think.
“They all need to get back step by step so if they are now ready to go for minutes, it’s perfect timing because we play Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday so we will need the boys.”
It might be that Alexander-Arnold initially watches on from the bench on Thursday night with a view to giving him 15 minutes or so as a sub. Building that match fitness up and strength around the injury.
Certainly, they will need a player like Alexander-Arnold for the run in – a player that Kyle Walker recently praised for his technique and a player that Jamie Carragher said is better than Arsenal’s Ben White.
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