Kostas Tsimikas among four players to return for Liverpool ahead of Atalanta clash

November 2, 2020
Jack Lusby

Kostas Tsimikas made his return to training ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League trip to Atalanta, with Joel Matip, Naby Keita and Billy Koumetio also back.

The Reds head to Italy on Monday afternoon as they prepare for the third clash of this season’s group stage, coming up against a side they have never faced before in Atalanta.

Jurgen Klopp‘s side have been without a number of key players in recent weeks, and that will be no different this time around as Fabinho and Thiago were both absent from training on Monday.

Thiago was the only player with a chance of taking part, but the No. 6 is still following an individual training programme as he recovers from Richarlison’s red-card challenge in the Merseyside derby.

Liverpool’s options are boosted by the return to fitness of Tsimikas, Matip and Keita, however, with the trio having all missed a number of weeks with respective injury problems.

Koumetio also rejoined the first team on Monday after a spell out, though the Frenchman has not been registered as part of the Reds’ Champions League squad.

The same can be said of Nat Phillips, who was part of training but is unable to feature against Atalanta, with Klopp having expected him to join Swansea before the end of the summer.

Phillips shone on his Premier League debut on Saturday, but will be replaced by either Matip or Rhys Williams as partner to Joe Gomez at the back, with Klopp likely to make a handful of changes for the Champions League.

Keita is an option in the middle of the park, but the Guinean could be forced to settle for a bench role as he works his way back to full fitness.

The same is likely of Tsimikas, who will remain backup to Andy Robertson at left-back, with his route into the starting lineup unclear at this point – though chances will, undoubtedly, come.

There was no sign of James Milner as a 19-man outfield squad were put through their paces, but academy midfielder Jake Cain was again present and should be in the matchday squad on Tuesday night.

Alisson and Adrian both trained as normal, with the Brazilian due to keep his place between the sticks.

The only long-term absentees at this point at Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with both Fabinho and Thiago expected back in the coming weeks.