Jurgen Klopp has hailed Pepijn Lijnders return to Liverpool as doubts remain over Zeljko Buvac’s future.
Lijnders rejoined the Anfield coaching set-up last month following a brief five-month spell in charge of NEC Nijmegen in his native Holland.
The 35-year-old reported back for duty on Monday as the Reds began their pre-season schedule but tellingly Klopp’s assistant Buvac remained absent.
Buvac, who has been Klopp’s dugout ally for 17 years, has not been involved in Liverpool’s first-team setup since April’s goalless draw with Stoke City.
Anfield officials maintain that the 56-year-old’s lack of involvement is due to personal reasons and that he continues to remain a club employee.
Reflecting on Lijnders’ return, Klopp believes that Liverpool’s returning first-team coach has already become a vital addition in their current preparations.
He said: “It’s good. It’s very, very good.
“We sent him away for half a year to get very important experience and to have him back now feels just fantastic.
“When he came in the building, everybody was really delighted about that and was really happy about it.
“He’s a fantastic person and a fantastic coach, so it’s really important that we have him back and I’m really looking forward to working together with him.”