Liverpool fans will be ecstatic to find out that Colombian forward Luis Diaz has returned to training with the team and reports indicate he could be on the bench against Manchester City.
Diaz joined Liverpool from FC Porto in January 2022 after the Reds hijacked his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. He hit the ground running immediately, contributing four goals and three assists in 13 Premier League games before suffering an injury at the beginning of the 2022/23 season that kept him out of football for the rest of 2022 and for most of the ongoing season.
Before the injury, he scored three times in eight league games and once in the UEFA Champions League. He was proving to be a great replacement for Sadio Mane, who moved on from A field to join Bayern Munich at the beginning of the season. In that time, Liverpool’s summer signings Darwin Nuñez and Cody Gakpo have struggled to effectively replace the threat he added to the team’s attack.
They are currently finding their feet, however, and now Diaz will return to provide extra ammunition for Jürgen Klopp, who is desperate to prove that he can still manage a top club at the top level and to distance himself from his unfortunate track record from his past clubs.
Klopp has already welcomed Portugal international Diogo Jota back into the fold and is close to having a full strength squad for the remainder of the season. He only has one goal and that is getting Liverpool back into the top four for another season in the UEFA Champions League.
Not since Klopp’s first season when he took over from Brendan Rodgers have the Reds missed out of Champions League football. In that time, they have been to three finals and won once. After an epic capitulation this season, he will be looking to strengthen his side enough to get back into the competition and prove the doubters wrong.
Diaz, as reported by the times, had been doing solo training and team training with Liverpool’s under-23s for a few weeks and only just found his way back to the first team training on Tuesday.
Liverpool face Manchester City on Saturday and the Colombian could make the bench if all factors to be considered are favourable.
Klopp, however, still has some injury problems to deal with going into the game.
Nuñez is recovering from an ankle problem but could return for the game. In midfield, Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara are out for the game, with rising star Bajcetic ruled out for the season.
The Reds are currently sixth on the table and a win could see them gain the advantage over Spurs in fourth place, as they have two games in hand over the North London club.
