Liverpool have been handed a transfer boost ahead of the final round of Premier League fixtures before the 2022 World Cup.
Assistant manager Pep Lijnders has revealed to the club website that there is "good news" for fans of the Reds.
Luis Diaz suffered a knee injury in their 3-2 defeat against Arsenal last month and has been out of action since.
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Joel Matip also sustained an injury at the Emirates, this time to his calf and was ruled out for an initial two to three weeks.
Liverpool host both Derby County and Southampton in their final matches before the World Cup break.
A positive update on Diaz
Lijnders spoke to the club website and said: “The longer injuries, Luis Diaz is running for the first time on Thursday. That’s good news because we all know how important he was last year and in the second half of the season.
“And Jota will take longer.”
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He then moved on to discuss other areas of the squad and spoke about the fitness of Naby Keita, James Milner and Matip.
“Naby will be difficult, he’s still training individually. Let’s see for Southampton.
“Millie will definitely be ready for Southampton but this game [against Derby] comes too early for tomorrow.
“Then we have of course Joel, who is getting closer to team training but will not make Southampton probably," he added.
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For Liverpool, the World Cup break could not come at a better time. They have experienced their worst start to a league season in over a decade and sit seven points off a Champions League place.
Egypt will not be heading to Qatar, which means Mohamed Salah can finally get a well-deserved rest after last season's incredibly arduous schedule.
Topics: Liverpool, Premier League, Luis Diaz, James Milner
Brad Cox