After a one-month injury layoff, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that defender Joel Matip has returned to training.
The Cameroonian defender is an important part of Klopp’s team. He has been out for a few weeks with a calf injury he got when Liverpool lost to Arsenal 3-2 on October 9. Since then, Liverpool has only kept two clean sheets in six Premier League games.
Matip will not play a competitive match until after the World Cup because he is not part of the Cameroon group travelling to Qatar.
Injuries have plagued the former Schalke centre-back since his move to Merseyside in 2016. Still, he had one of his most consistent seasons in 2021-22. He played in 43 games, 31 of which were in the Premier League.
In his absence, Virgil van Dijk has been paired with either Joe Gomez or Ibrahima Konate, as Liverpool, which is eighth in the league, has had trouble staying consistent.
Klopp also provided an update on Guinea international player Naby Keita, who has been sidelined with an injury for the most part of the season, claiming the midfielder is ‘out and running.’