Liverpool Team News: Injured Defender Set To Return Against Plymouth In The FA Cup

Liverpool face Plymouth in the third round of the FA Cup and as Jurgen Klopp looks to give a break to some of his first team players; Joe Gomez could be in for a start against the lower league side. Gomez has not played for the side since October 2015.

The youngster did have a great start to his career under former Brendan Rodgers but he picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury and didn’t play for Klopp since. The road to recovery has been a long one but finally he is ready to start for the main side.

The Englishman has played six times for the U23 side and even Klopp stated that the defender is ready to play an Anfield.

“He’s in good shape. First game at Anfield for a long time – maybe it would not be the biggest surprise if he would be in the line-up, if nothing happens”, Klopp was speaking at the pre-match conference.

Gomez had taken up a calendar like approach to get back to fitness and even the German manager did state that the Englishman has a long way to go before he regains full fitness and is a regular for the side.

“[It’s the] next step on a long way to go, he already had a long way and will still be but everything is good. That’s what we said when we spoke about it was not the idea to give him on loan to some other club,” he replied.

“It would be the next step and nice for all of us because he’s a wonderful boy and we are really happy for him that he’s fit now.

“He had a few games with the second team, he’s very self-critical because it was not always his absolute best, but that’s normal after a long period of injury and not playing football, so that’s all normal.

“But he’s on a good way, in training he looks really good, so it’s the logical next step.”

Gomez certainly will be looking to impress the Anfield crowd and Klopp and if he does perform well, he could be in line to play a few games in the league. The Reds do need quality at the back and also have to rest a number of players as they also take on Southampton in the EFL Cup a few days after the FA Cup game.

The youngster was one of the better players in the start of last season for the Reds and hopefully he pick up from where he left off against Plymouth.