Jurgen Klopp has explained how Liverpool are ensuring Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane are in contention for their derby showdown.
Both Thiago and Mane returned to training this week having self-isolated following positive coronavirus tests.
Thiago missed three games and was unavailable for Spain’s recent internationals, while Mane sat out the dismal 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa a fortnight ago.
The duo are now vying for a starting role when the Reds make the short trip across Stanley Park to take on Premier League leaders Everton on Saturday.
And Klopp has detailed how Liverpool ’s medical staff are taking no risks with the health of the key pair.
“We all learn on a daily basis about it,” he said. “They are in training for five or six days (now).
“Then, of course, we assess that every day. We have our specific measurements, how we do it with heart rate and how we can measure if they are more fatigued than usual and stuff like this.
“They both looked really good, to be honest. We are very close with the doctors and we don’t want to – and would never – risk anybody.
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“Usually in these cases, in at least the last three, four of five days of the quarantine the boys are already ready.
“They cannot come out of quarantine, but they are on treadmills, on the bike and these kind of things so when they start training again it is not that they start from nil. They have still a proper shape, so it should be fine.
“So many things are new in the moment and this is one of the things which is really new, but we try to be as sensible as possible.”
Naby Keita is the only Liverpool player to not be available for the Everton showdown after returning from international duty.
A number of high-profile players tested positive for coronavirus during the past fortnight, although it emerged Xherdan Shaqiri’s initial test result with Switzerland was a ‘false positive’ with the forward then free to play for his country.
And while clubs are not required by the Premier League to undergo a round of tests immediately after an international break, Liverpool have scheduled their own tests ahead of Saturday’s match.
“Most of the FAs were very, very serious on their testing programmes,” said Klopp, speaking on Friday.
“We brought most of the players back as much as we could in private planes where they don’t get in contact with anybody else, we tried to do everything.
The international break is almost over and Premier League football is back with a bang.
Liverpool travel to Everton on Saturday for the first Merseyside derby of the season.
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“When you come back from international teams, you don’t have to do a test before you play in the Premier League. The Premier League obviously trusts the specific FAs.
“It’s not necessarily that you have to do it but we do it for us anyway. Then we wait for the results.
“We would expect them to be negative. Nearly all of the positive ones we have had could be explained by travel and things like that.
“Now they travel again but in a closed environment with the national team who have the same reason like we have to keep them as safe as possible. That’s different to usual travelling.”
- What would be your Liverpool team for the Merseyside derby? Let us know in the comments below.
