Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is looking forward to having Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back in contention with the midfielder finally recovered from a pre-season knee injury.
And in another boost for his squad goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who has missed the last three matches with a thigh problem, has returned to training and is likely to start against Fulham on Sunday.
But it is the return of Oxlade-Chamberlain which is most pleasing, not only because the player has been out for so long but because it offers Klopp another option in midfield where is currently missing Tiago Alcantara, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri.
“It’s long eh? Unbelievable. I still remember the situation in training; a normal challenge: one (player) gets up, the other not.
“It’s been a tough time for him but the sun shines for him already for a month or two since he has been doing all the necessary stuff in rehab.
“He is on the pitch with the ball, with the team and it is great for him and great for us.
“We will not rush it but when he is long enough in normal team training then of course he becomes an option immediately and that’s good. Absolutely good.”
Alisson’s return is also a positive, although deputy Caoimhin Kelleher has performed admirably in his absence with two clean sheets on his European and Champions League debuts with the only goal he conceded a penalty against Midtjylland in midweek.
“Ali will train today, that’s what I’ve heard and if he trains and all fine, then he can play.”
But there always seems to be a flip side for Liverpool this season and Klopp has doubts over Kostas Tsimikas (knee) and Diogo Jota (knock).
Tsimikas’ absence at the weekend is unlikely to make much of a difference as Andy Robertson will return having been rested for the first hour of Wednesday’s Champions League tie in Denmark.
Alisson and Oxlade-Chamberlain could return for Sunday’s meeting with @FulhamFC.#FULLIV— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 11, 2020
Not having Jota, however, would be more of a concern with Premier League leaders Tottenham due to visit Anfield on Wednesday, although that still allows Klopp to field his previously well-established front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
After Wednesday’s Champions League dead rubber Klopp voiced his concerns about how he felt VAR had changed football and he is beginning to reconsider whether he wants it in the game at all now.
“How we deal with here in this country and the Champions League was not much better to be honest,” he said.
“Why would anyone say ‘Come on, that’s brilliant, let’s stay like this’? We have stopped celebrating after goals, we have millimetre offside decisions and a lot of things are not like they were before.
“When it first came up the idea of VAR I was rather in favour of it because I thought right decisions would be nice.
“I am not sure we all thought it through properly and how long it would take to get a right decision, how much it will take away from a game we loved before.
“A few things aren’t like they were before and it was better before. If you change something I think there should be just improvement and for sure that is not the case.”
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