Jurgen Klopp admits that Joel Matip’s return for Liverpool ‘will take a while’.
Matip has not featured for the Premier League leaders since their 1-1 draw with Manchester United in mid-October after picking up a knee injury.
Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez continue to alternate in deputising for the Cameroon international’s absence at the heart of the Reds’ defence.
And Klopp concedes that Matip is still some way off making a return to action to the first-team fold, where he enjoyed a promising start to the new campaign.
He said: “Joel needs a bit more time.
“It’s healing but it’s not exactly how we wished for.
“It needs a bit more time, so that will take a while.
“The rest are fit. The long-term injuries not in, but all the others are fit and available.”