EUROPA LEAGUE
Liverpool injury update for Atalanta in the Europa League: Alexander-Arnold, Jota, Alisson…
Jürgen Klopp could welcome three first-team players back into the squad for Thursday’s quarter-final first leg at Anfield.
Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool are set to be handed a significant boost in their bid to win three trophies this season, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota in contention to return to action in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday (11 April), while goalkeeper Alisson Becker could also make the squad.
Will Alexander-Arnold, Jota and Alisson play against Atalanta?
All three players have been sidelined since February, but manager Jürgen Klopp revealed that Alexander-Arnold and Jota, who both had knee issues, had “looked very good” in training before facing the Italian team. The German also stated Alisson is “on the way back as well” and had made his own return to first-team training.
Klopp stopped short of confirming they would feature against Atalanta, although his pre-match words suggest there is some chance of seeing the two outfield players involved at some stage, at least from the bench.
“They are now back in training and now we have to see how we involve them and how we use them. That we need them is clear. But we need them in the best possible shape, and we want to give them kind of rhythm. It’s always a challenge trying to reintegrate the guys. With the quality they have it should be easier, and we will use them in the next days and weeks, but what it means for Thursday I didn’t make a decision yet,” the former Dortmund manager told the media.
Which players are ruled out of Liverpool’s game against Atalanta?
Young midfielder Stefan Bajcetic has been out since September with a calf injury but has also resumed training, although Klopp explained he would likely play for the Under-21 team first after such a long absence.
As it stands, the only players who have been ruled out of Thursday’s game at Anfield are long-term injury victims Thiago Alcântara and Joël Matip, along with teenage winger Ben Doak.
After Thursday’s first leg, Liverpool will travel to Italy to play the return against Atalanta on Thursday 18 April. The winner of the tie will face either Benfica or Marseille in the semi-finals (2 and 9 May).