Jurgen Klopp admits Reds strength is due to players returning from injury
Jurgen Klopp has said that Liverpool’s recent revival is down to players returning from injury, despite the excellent start to Premier League life exhibited by January signing Luis Diaz.
Image credit: PA Images Jurgen Klopp embraces Luis Diaz as he is subbed offLiverpool are currently unbeaten in eight games and travel to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening looking for another three points, which will take them to within one point of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
City were 13 points clear back in mid-January, but their indifferent form has combined with a Reds resurgence.
However, Klopp told Sky Sports that having key players available has been key.
He said, "Funnily enough, apart from Luis, it is the same squad that we had when we started the season.
"We had this strong squad, they were just unavailable. Now they are available. That makes it the squad that we always wanted to have."
Gary Neville is someone who backs this view, telling Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football that it is Liverpool’s attacking options that could win them the league.
He said, "You think about where they were, AFCON, [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane going away for a month, I thought that City would be out of sight.
"You thought City were going to win the league at a canter and they’ve not done and that’s credit to Liverpool, credit to the players, the signing of [Luis] Diaz in January and the fact they’ve got a great manager who is able to drag that level of performance out of them week in week out.
"Liverpool have got five players up front who are an absolute joke. And Diaz, saw him for the first time live at the Carabao Cup final and I couldn’t believe what I was watching for a player who had just entered English football. He’s absolutely sensational."
Meanwhile, the arrival of Diaz has meant Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino have been pushed down the pecking order, with Klopp admitting it is unlikely the pair will remain at Anfield beyond the summer.
He told Sky Sports, "It is crazy because we still have Divock and Taki on top of that.
"It is incredibly hard for him and for me as well because it is really tough these kind of things. Taki is in an incredible moment.
"It is unlikely with the size of the squad that we now stay exactly like this together. For sure, some of the players do not play often enough for their own understanding and we will see what will come in the summer and find solutions for those situations.
"But the core of the group has to stay together. There is no doubt about that."