‘Absolutely very important’: Jurgen Klopp was thrilled that injured Liverpool player featured today

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Jurgen Klopp was ‘absolutely’ happy with Joel Matip returning for Liverpool v Lyon on Sunday. The defender is being managed carefully.

Liverpool slumped to a 3-1 defeat against Lyon on Sunday – but we wouldn’t read too much into that. This was merely about finding some fitness after weeks without football for most Reds.

And some needed these minutes even more than others. Jurgen Klopp certainly believes so as he was thrilled that Joel Matip was able to play against the French side.

“Very important, absolutely very important,” said Klopp, per Liverpoolfc.com. “Yeah, so far he did pretty much everything in training.

“There was one session where we got advice to rest him a little bit, but it was not from him, it was from the medical department, [so] that’s what we did. Apart from that he could do everything.

“Looked good today, 45 minutes was again what we were allowed to use him. That’s what we did. That’s good.”

Joel Matip v Lyon

Not all injury news has been positive lately. Luis Díaz, most notably, was also supposed to make his return against Lyon today. Instead, he’ll be out until March in a massive blow for Liverpool.

Having Matip back, then, is really positive as he’s not someone who has always had luck go his way with injuries. Liverpool will want him fully fit for the coming months, though.

Especially as Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk may need rest. Both have been at the World Cup, with Van Dijk’s tournament ending on Friday but Konaté’s continues. In fact, there’s a very good chance that he’s still there on December 18th.

Liverpool return to action on the 22nd, so Matip and Joe Gomez have big roles to play in December. No wonder, then, that Klopp is so happy that the former was able to face Lyon.