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Jürgen Klopp Delivers Positive Injury Update on Henderson and Matip

The Reds remain dangerously thin in defence, but the duo’s return should help to rebalance a struggling side.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Premier League Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez out for the season, any margin Liverpool may have had to weather injuries has largely disappeared, which has made absences of first Joël Matip and then Jordan Henderson this month difficult for Jürgen Klopp’s side.

There appears some good news ahead of Thursday’s match against Tottenham, though, with both players taking part in full team training this week. Neither are a lock to start or even make the bench, but the signs today on that front are at least positive.

“Hendo and Joël trained yesterday with the team fully,” was the manager’s update at today’s pre-match press conference. “Like always with these things we have to see how they react overnight and what they can do today, but they trained yesterday.”

Liverpool have two losses and three draws from their last five league matches, and that form has dropped them out of the title race and into a top four battle—a battle they’ll have little hope of being successful in if their results don’t improve quickly.

Being able to play Matip alongside Fabinho in defence, allowing the team to play a high line that compresses the field while adding Henderson to the midfield trio to help push the pace in possession and manage the pressing game, would help immensely.

Even with the duo’s return the Reds will be dangerously thin, but if they can stay healthy it should give Klopp’s side a solid chance of rediscovering their autumn form—and if they can do that, while the title may be out of reach the top four should be safe.

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