Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed in the press conference that Thiago Alcantara is progressing well in training, but the West Brom game on Sunday may have come too soon for him.
The Reds boss has also suggested that the likes of James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri have also returned to full training, with the Swiss international being ‘really good’.
Klopp says the visit of West Brom will come too soon for Thiago to make his eagerly-awaited comeback. #LFC
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) December 24, 2020
Thiago didn’t play a single game since picking up a knee injury during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Everton back in October.
The former Bayern Munich midfielder took to Twitter yesterday to confirm that he has returned to training, while the club posted some of his training pictures on their official Twitter page.
back with the lads 🤙🏽 #YNWA pic.twitter.com/KwIim5jLRh
— Thiago Alcantara (@Thiago6) December 23, 2020
The return of Thiago is a massive boost for the club. He is a world-class player, and the former Bayern Munich midfielder showed his class already in the two games he played for the Reds.
He is expected to play a huge role in the second half of the season as the Reds are looking to retain the Premier League title, and at the same time take another shot at the Champions League trophy as well.
While Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Diogo Jota are still long-term absentees, the return of the trio will ease the injury crisis at the club. At the same time, it will add a selection headache for the Reds boss now that he has plenty of options to choose from.
The return of Milner is a huge relief, as the veteran can play a versatile role. Likewise, Shaqiri adds an extra bit of creativity and Klopp will need his services during the busy festive period.
For the third successive year, Liverpool find themselves at the top of the table at Christmas. They are heading into this game on the back of a 7-0 win against Crystal Palace, and Klopp will be looking to carry forward the momentum against West Brom.
