Liverpool are close to securing their full quota of senior midfielders.With United’s injury problems resolved following the Premier League winter break, Jurgen Klopp could tap him. But if one hand gives, the other takes.Following a £150m midfield overhaul last summer, Liverpool now have eight senior midfielders, with academy graduates Bobby Clarke and James McConnell providing further reinforcements.
But with Thiago Alcántara and Bobby Clarke out for the season with long-term injuries, and even without the bad luck of Dominick Szoboszlai , Alexis McAllister and Curtis Jones, Klopp hasn’t had all the chances.But even in the briefest of moments this month, those dreams will come true. Wataru Endo’s early return to Anfield was sealed as Japan lost 2-1 to Iran in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup on Saturday. The 30-year-old has missed United’s last seven games due to mid-season internationals but is available for Burnley this weekend after reporting to the AXA Training Center on Wednesday.
With Thiago also looking good after returning to team training earlier this month after being sidelined for 10 months with a hip injury, 19-year-old Wajcetic remains the only senior option to could be left out. It might not last long. Thiago joins the away team as Liverpool travel to London to face Arsenal on Sunday and they know they will soon have Endo back. However, Szobosleigh has been sidelined since the Hungarian picked up an injury last month. Thiago was due to make a late return from the bench in the 3-1 defeat to the Gunners but has apparently picked up a further hamstring injury and is now set to miss another game.
For Klopp, it’s basically a matter of taking one step forward and two steps back. Barring any nasty setbacks ahead of the Clarets clash, Liverpool could call on the services of Endo, Mac Allister, Jones, Ryan Gravenburch and Harvey Elliott on Saturday. Meanwhile, Klopp is likely to provide an update on Thiago and Szobosleigh at his pre-match press conference against Burnley on Friday afternoon, with the extent of both men’s injuries currently unclear.
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