Press conference'The smile is back' – Jürgen Klopp discusses Luis Diaz's form

Diaz has been a key figure for the Reds of late, delivering impressive performances against Newcastle United, Arsenal and Fulham, as well as an influential cameo off the bench at Burnley on Boxing Day.

And reflecting on the Colombian’s importance at his press conference ahead of the Premier League trip to AFC Bournemouth on Sunday, Klopp was effusive in his praise for the 27-year-old.

The manager said: “You might all have forgotten but in the past, with maybe the best front three this club has had for a long, long time – Sadio Mane, Bobby Firmino, Mo Salah – how often we were sitting here discussing [their] little crises, the little dips in form.

“We discussed it, but it never really had that massive impact. And each time we let them just be.

“If Lucho is not playing great, I don’t have to tell him. He knows that before I know. So, it’s just about trust and faith and time.

“There was no doubt that he will be back, definitely. And yes, for us that’s very important, absolutely. But that’s how it is, and in general, so far we were not struggling in creating and not really struggling with scoring. So, it’s how it is.

“It’s a general trust and faith that we have in the boys and that’s why they can have a spell where for two, three or four weeks maybe, after the most challenging time of his [Diaz’s] life, which nobody is prepared for.

“He’s back, it’s good and pretty helpful! You can see it in each training session [that] it’s different.

“I spoke here when he came in that I never really saw something like that: he cannot not smile when he is on the ball! It was like that in the beginning, but there were a few weeks where I missed that a little bit.

“But the smile is back, and that’s really good!”