Luis Diaz will miss the final four games before the World Cup due to a serious knee injury, with the Liverpool winger working hard on his recovery.
Diaz has been sidelined since the 3-2 loss to Arsenal on October 9, with the Colombian subsequently missing clashes with Rangers, Man City, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Ajax and Leeds.
His absence, along with that of Diogo Jota, has led to another change of system from Jurgen Klopp – from a flat 4-4-2 to a diamond – and has been felt strongly.
“Up front they play now all the time,” Klopp said after the 1-0 loss to Leeds on Saturday, “it’s the three strikers we have left.”
Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino are, in the manager’s words, now being “overplayed,” with it clear that Diaz’s comeback could not come sooner.
The No. 23 is still a long way off, however, with the hope being that he can return to availability for the trip to Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
That remains up in the air, but Diaz is working hard on his recovery at the AXA Training Centre, as he showed in a post on his Instagram story on Saturday.
Diaz is still required to wear a knee brace when not in the gym, and is currently working on light strength and resistance training to begin the reloading process on his left leg.
Spirits are high despite his lengthy layoff, with the winger’s positive character no doubt helping him throughout a difficult time in the treatment room.
Earlier this month, Diaz – who avoided surgery following his tussle with Thomas Partey – vowed to “come back stronger” from this setback.
In his most recent injury update, though, Klopp was at pains to stress that “you don’t have to ask for Diogo for a while, and not for Luis for a while.”
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