Pepijn Lijnders gave an update on Thiago’s health and acknowledged that the team “misses” having the Spaniard on the field.
Due to a hip ailment, the midfielder has been sidelined since April and has not yet been picked to a matchday squad this year.
The assistant manager has disclosed that he has yet to resume full training in preparation for Wednesday’s visit from Leicester in the League Cup. He missed the team’s training session as they prepared for the Europa League opener at LASK on Thursday.
Prior to the match, Lijnders stated that Thiago is “healing” and progressing towards a return to the field, but he is still unable to be selected for the Reds.
“He is in a good way, the healing process is going well so that’s the most important [thing] at this moment,” said Lijnders as he previewed the Foxes’ visit.
“Thiago, his quality, is missed. Similar control is displayed by Alexis in the middle, as she directs the ball to the appropriate players and spaces.
“We want him back in training, he is still not back in training. He’s healing and is individual on the pitch, simple but effective. Time will tell how that goes.”
The comments from Jurgen Klopp‘s No. 2 indicate that Thiago is still training separately from his teammates as he attempts to regain his fitness.
Liverpool made four midfield signings over the summer but Lijnders insists that his absence from the side remains noticeable.
Both the player and the staff will be keen to reintroduce Thiago as an option in the coming weeks and there will be ample opportunities for him to feature across the four competitions the Reds are competing in.
Klopp made 11 changes to his side for last week’s trip to LASK in the Europa League and he is expected to adopt a similar approach in the domestic cup competitions as he looks to utilise the full depth of his squad.
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