Liverpool travel to La Ceramica on Tuesday evening for their Champions League semi-final second leg with Villarreal and the Reds have already been hard at work
Liverpool will be aiming to reach yet another Champions League final as they take on Spanish side Villarreal in their semi-final second-leg.
The Reds arrive La Ceramica as favourites to progress, having built-up a 2-0 advantage at Anfield. An own-goal from Pervis Estupinan followed by a quickfire Sadio Mane strike saw the Reds run out victors on Merseyside - a lead that they will no doubt be aiming to add to in Spain.
Ahead of the clash, Jurgen Klopp has had his squad hard at work and Mirror Sport has taken a look at some of the clues that might have been dropped before Tuesday evening’s kick-off.
Reds handed Origi fitness boost
During their last game - a 1-0 victory over resurgent Newcastle United - Liverpool had a slightly conundrum regarding their attacking options. Roberto Firmino has been ruled out since the draw with Manchester City with an injury, with Klopp not remaining particularly optimistic on his availability.
He said: "Bobby is now running, so it is all good. It is very painful, he has a little pain on the bone in the middle of the foot. It is very painful, but he is running. He will travel with us, but he will not be involved in the squad yet. We hope [he is back] sooner rather than later.”
Meanwhile, Belgian forward Divock Origi was ruled out of the clash at St James’ Park through illness - a problem that saw Diogo Jota handed the central attacking role. Whilst Klopp could be set to use the same system against Villarreal, he once again has Origi to call upon should he be required.
The striker was pictured at the heart of the Reds’ latest training session, handing a considerable boost to Klopp and his side. Origi is certainly a man who has performed his fair share of Champions League miracles and whilst does not appear to be needed this time around, it will certainly be a comfort to know that he is there to be called upon if needed.
Thiago in top gear
Origi has certainly been in and out of the Liverpool side this season but one man who has had an almost automatic ticket into the team is Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara. After arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020, he endured a slow start at Anfield due to a combination of fitness issues and inconsistent form.
That could not be any further from the truth this term though with Thiago having played a key role in the Reds’ push for an unprecedented quadruple. He is now arguably in the best form of his Anfield career and will hope to continue that theme against Villarreal.
Thiago was once again at the centre of training with his teammates and Klopp will certainly be hopeful that he gets another trademark display from the Spanish playmaker after his kind recent words.
Speaking last week, the Liverpool boss said: “People were questioning if he suits our football? Thank God these people don’t make decisions.
“If a player is calming a game down in moments due to a lot of reasons - one of them is just to have a look, or whatever - it is of course nothing we thought. It is more important Thiago wanted to join us and he knew how we played. He is a real football person and thinks a lot about football. He knew how we played and he knew he would fit in and we knew it as well.”
Harvey Elliott in line for appearance?
Whilst Thiago seems to be an automatic pick for the Reds in midfield, one man who could potentially be a surprise option for Klopp is former Fulham starlet Harvey Elliott. The youngster enjoyed an extremely bright start to the season only for a sickening injury suffered against Leeds United at Elland Road curtailed his campaign.
The 19-year-old made an emotional return in an FA Cup clash against Cardiff back in December - even managing to get in the scoresheet and has gone on to make five more appearances in all competitions since. Only one of those has come in Champions League action but should the Reds find themselves in a position to make changes throughout the second-leg, then Elliott could potentially be a man to call upon.
He appeared to be one of the first out of the Melwood doors onto the training ground on Monday afternoon and will no doubt have been attempting to catch the coaching team’s eyes ahead of the game.
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