Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Thiago Alcantara could start for Liverpool against Leeds United on Monday, with the Spanish international now back to full fitness.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Reds’ manager revealed that the 31-year-old midfielder is a candidate to start for Liverpool at Elland Road, with the Merseyside club hopeful of winning their first game in April having not won since their 7-0 victory against Manchester United.
Thiago’s latest injury has kept the midfielder off the pitch for months, yet with the £20m maestro making his comeback last weekend against Arsenal, the former Bayern Munich star could now be in contention to start against Leeds for Liverpool.
Indeed, Thiago returning to the starting XI will be massive for Liverpool in their hopes of getting a result against Leeds, with the Reds currently five points off a European spot and unfancied favourites to finish in the top-seven come the end of the season.
Klopp said on Thiago’s potential return to the starting XI: “Thiago is a candidate for starting and if we start Luis [Diaz] probably people will tell me, ‘30 minutes’ and stuff like this and then we cannot start him [because] we have to make the first change a bit early.”
Thiago returning to Liverpool’s XI for Leeds clash could be game-changing
Lauded as ‘unbelieable’ by Paul Merson, Thiago’s return cannot be understated, with the midfielder one of Liverpool’s most important players and a talent that is hard to replace with what Klopp has to choose from in the rest of his squad.
Yet the German manager hinting that Thiago could start for Liverpool is nothing short of huge, and with Leeds looking vulnerable, there’s a good chance that the Spanish star could cause the Whites some major problems, even if the fixture is taking place at Elland Road.