Liverpool trio ease injury fears with welcome training appearance

November 16, 2021
Joanna Durkan

The injury list has not made for good reading for Liverpool so far this season but there were promising signs at Kirkby on Tuesday for Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and James Milner.

Jurgen Klopp has been counting his casualties of late, primarily in midfield and would no doubt have been left pulling his hair out as Mane and Hendeson returned early from international duty.

The former saw a rib issue force his exit while the skipper sustained a “small injury” in his 90-minute outing for England, but both were sighted at Kirkby on Tuesday.

Mane taking part in the main session is a major boost as doubts were cast over his chances to feature against Arsenal, which would have left the Reds without their No. 10 and the injured Roberto Firmino.

Sadio Mane was part of #LFC training today ? pic.twitter.com/h5WeBa1yFI

— Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) November 16, 2021

And with still four days until the return of domestic action, Henderson too was out on the pitch completing an individual session to boost hopes that he will add to Klopp’s midfield options.

The skipper’s availability would then see him join Thiago, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as possible starters against the Gunners, with Milner not far off from joining them.

The veteran was doing ball work away from the main group in a hint that he is not too far away after missing Liverpool’s last four games with a hamstring injury.

Notably, neither Curtis Jones nor Naby Keita were present with Klopp and co. on Tuesday in a group that heavily featured academy players alongside the senior faces who did not jet off to represent their country.

Youngsters Melkamu Frauendorf, James Norris, Jarell Quansah, Mateusz Musialowski and Max Woltman joined Tyler Morton, Kaide Gordon and Marcelo Pitaluga in the first-team group.

Over the coming days, the group will be bolstered by those returning from international duty but the fitness of Andy Robertson remains uncertain after he hobbled from the field in Scotland’s win on Monday night.