In a recent interview after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Sporting CP at the Yankee Stadium on Wednesday evening, Jurgen Klopp revealed that both Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri are set for a return to first-team training next week when he said (via the Liverpool Echo),
“We have an important week ahead of us at Evian for a proper training camp.
“We have a very tricky game against Napoli and then the game against Lyon we organised pretty much for the boys who are coming back.
“When we get back, hopefully six players can join us. Naby Keita should be ready to train hopefully, Xherdan Shaqiri should be ready to train and then hopefully play, Mo, Bobby and Ali and a week later Sadio Mane as well. They are important players for us.”
Liverpool Need A Full-Strength Available For The New Season
With a plethora of first-team stars set for a return to action soon, the Reds would hope that they can all hit the ground running when they face off against Manchester City in the FA Community Shield final on August 4.
Keita and Shaqiri are both edging closer towards a return to training next week. This recent development has handed Klopp a huge boost after a disappointing pre-season thus far.
Both Keita and Shaqiri were ravaged by injuries last season following their arrivals at Anfield in the summer of 2018. The Guinea international managed to feature in 33 matches for the Reds, scoring three goals while grabbing one assist across all competitions. Keita was also an integral member of the Guinea national team during the African Cup of Nations. However, he could only help his nation reach the Round of 16, where they were knocked out by Algeria in convincing fashion.
On the other hand, Shaqiri made 30 appearances for the Merseyside outfit in the previous campaign, scoring six goals and creating five assists on all fronts. He put in a few match-winning cameos off the Liverpool bench as evidenced by his incredible performance against Manchester United at Anfield last season.
Keita And Shaqiri Edging Closer Towards A Return To Training: Massive Boost For Klopp?
Both players could play a crucial role for the Reds in the upcoming campaign as they look to pip Man City to the Premier League title. Hence, the recent development of the duo returning to training before the start of the new season will be a huge boost for Klopp as he prepares his side for another long and gruelling season in the English top-flight.
Nathaniel Clyne is out for a long time after sustaining an ACL injury during pre-season. Thus, the German manager cannot afford to lose any more of his players if his side are to do well on all fronts next season.
