Arthur Melo returns to full training with Liverpool

Things finally seem to be looking up for Arthur Melo. The Brazilian midfielder returned to full training with the Liverpool squad at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby on Wednesday as Klopp’s troops step up preparations for Monday’s Merseyside derby. Arthur joined the Reds on a one-year loan arrangement from Juventus last summer. The £3.5million deadline day deal raised a few eyebrows at the time as the player had spent much of the 2021/22 season flitting in and out of the casualty room. In July 2021 he underwent surgery to remove hardened tissue from his lower right leg (ossification of the interosseous membrane) which left him sidelined for 77 days and after that he was laid low a couple of times with an ankle injury. In the season before his move to Anfield, Arthur made a total of 31 appearances for Juve, completing the full 90 minutes in eight of them.

Arthur’s playing time at Liverpool

Arthur arrived in Liverpool to complete his loan move on 1 September. He was brought in to provide link-up play between the midfield and attack but most likely as a fringe player rather than a starter. He made his debut in the Champions League Matchday 1 meeting with Napoli, coming on for the last 13 minutes as a replacement for Harvey Elliott. After that, he was given a couple of run-outs with the Under-21s to build up rhythm. Disaster on 3 October when Arthur suffered a thigh muscle injury, a complete tear, in training. So severe was the injury that Liverpool’s medical team advised a trip to the operating table followed by a three to four-month lay-off.

Since then, the player has been focusing solely on his rehabilitation, training apart from the main group and making sure his recovery goes to plan. By the start of the New Year, he was able to perform continuous running and other drills and last weekend, he trained with the squad members who are not regular starters for Klopp. While Arthur has been given a clean bill of health, he is nowhere near match-fit and as yet there is no date set when he could make his return to the pitch. Nevertheless, it’s a glimmer of hope and at least some positive news in what has turned into a difficult season for the Reds, whose only chance of silverware is in the Champions League, where they face the holders Real Madrid in the Last 16. Diogo Jota, who has been out for almost as long as Arthur while recovering from a calf muscle injury, is also back to full training which is another boost for Klopp.