NewsLFC fitness update: Robertson, Jones, Konate, Nunez, Bajcetic and more
Jürgen Klopp has provided an update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Sunday’s clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, including initial news on Andy Robertson.
Liverpool left-back Robertson was withdrawn during the first half of Scotland’s friendly against Northern Ireland on Tuesday night with an apparent ankle complaint.
Offering the latest at his pre-match press conference this afternoon, Klopp said: “Robbo, we take it a little bit day by day so we will see.
“He will not train today but it’s not as bad. So that’s fine.”
Elsewhere, Curtis Jones is returning to training, while Ibrahima Konate and Darwin Nunez are both fine ahead of the Premier League visit of the Seagulls.
“Curtis, I am not sure if he is available [for Sunday], but in training,” said the manager. “Ibou was an extra rest day [on Thursday], nothing else.
“[Nunez] is fine. He did his rehab during the week, trained the first day partially since we are back partially and since then he is in full training.”
Asked about the respective recoveries of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota, he added: “And the other boys, from next week on step by step I think they will join parts of team training and then team training, so we will see what we do with that.
“They are not too far away but not in yet, none of them was yet even close to team training. But they all make their steps and so it’s positive.”
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Watch on YouTubeKlopp was also asked about Stefan Bajcetic’s progress in his long-term fitness rehabilitation and if the No.43 has been able to use the time on the sidelines beneficially in other ways.
“Football brain-wise he is a natural so I don’t think he lost anything. But rhythm is something else,” he replied.
“He is now in partial training with the U21s and he will be in full training with the U21s next week because we pretty much don’t train because we play all the time. Then after that he will join our training. That’s the plan and then we will see.
“But the boy grew, put a few muscles on, looks good. Conor Bradley didn’t need long after he was out for a long, long time as well. He is a smart kid so I think he will be fine, but what do I know? I’ve never been that long injured in that age group.
“He watched definitely a lot of football. It is not that he played with us now regularly, he played early in the season. I forgot that actually, but he did, and then everything went the wrong way.
“But now he is nearly back and I’m really happy for him and happy for us.”