With Adam Lallana returning to full training ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Southampton, Jurgen Klopp is wary of rushing back his No. 20.
Lallana missed the first three months of the season after picking up a thigh injury in the pre-season defeat to Atletico Madrid in Munich, sitting out of the first 18 games.
But the midfielder has since made his return to fitness, and joined Klopp’s training sessions at Melwood in the buildup to his former side’s visit to Anfield.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Saturday kickoff, the German insisted he wouldn’t risk Lallana’s fitness after such a lengthy absence.
“Adam is in training, but now [only] since three days, four days,” he told reporters.
“It’s fantastic that he’s back, he’s lost nothing. But in the next few weeks we have games [every] three days.
“There’s no rushing it, even though everyone who knows Adam can imagine how ready he is to be part of the squad again. We will see what we’ll do.
“It’s completely different to Sadio [Mane]. [Lallana] was much longer out. He’s a fantastic player, but we want to have him for the season, [not one game].
“The player wants to be back immediately and I’m now the bad guy who says ‘not today’! I only do it for him, for the club.
“What can I say? We will see, it depends how the other players are.
“We will use him for sure, but to bring him in now for 90 minutes is an absolute no. It will not happen.”
Along with Lallana, Klopp could call upon a host of returning faces on Saturday, most notably Jordan Henderson, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane.
Coutinho has already featured since his spell out with a hamstring injury, starting in Brazil’s 0-0 friendly draw with England on Tuesday night.
But both Henderson and Mane are yet to make their return to the field following thigh and hamstring complaints respectively.
However, Klopp said that he “will see today” regarding Mane’s fitness, and Henderson “will be involved” having “used the week he had in the break to recover from different things.”
The quartet were all part of training at Melwood on Thursday, as Klopp made his way back from an illness which kept him out the previous day.
And the German revealed he returned to glowing reports of Lallana’s contribution from coaches Zeljko Buvac, Peter Krawietz and Pepijn Lijnders.
“The first session I was unfortunately not involved, but when I came in they were all really excited about it,” he said.
With Lallana yet to take to the field so far this season, the hope will be he is able to make his comeback against his former side at some stage on Saturday.
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