Kostas Tsimikas among four players

to return for Liverpool ahead of

Atalanta clash
 November 2, 2020
 Jack Lusby

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Kostas Tsimikas made his return to training ahead of
Liverpool’s Champions League trip to Atalanta, with Joel Matip, Naby
Keita and Billy Koumetio also back.
The Reds head to Italy on Monday afternoon as they prepare for the third
clash of this season’s group stage, coming up against a side they have never
faced before in Atalanta.

Jurgen Klopp‘s side have been without a number of key players in recent
weeks, and that will be no different this time around
as Fabinho and Thiago were both absent from training on Monday.
Thiago was the only player with a chance of taking part, but the No. 6 is still
following an individual training programme as he recovers from Richarlison’s
red-card challenge in the Merseyside derby.
Liverpool’s options are boosted by the return to fitness of Tsimikas, Matip and
Keita, however, with the trio having all missed a number of weeks with
respective injury problems.

Koumetio also rejoined the first team on Monday after a spell out, though the
Frenchman has not been registered as part of the Reds’ Champions
League squad.
The same can be said of Nat Phillips, who was part of training but is unable to
feature against Atalanta, with Klopp having expected him to join Swansea
before the end of the summer.
Phillips shone on his Premier League debut on Saturday, but will be replaced
by either Matip or Rhys Williams as partner to Joe Gomez at the back, with
Klopp likely to make a handful of changes for the Champions League.
Keita is an option in the middle of the park, but the Guinean could be forced to
settle for a bench role as he works his way back to full fitness.

The same is likely of Tsimikas, who will remain backup to Andy Robertson at
left-back, with his route into the starting lineup unclear at this point – though
chances will, undoubtedly, come.
There was no sign of James Milner as a 19-man outfield squad were put
through their paces, but academy midfielder Jake Cain was again present and
should be in the matchday squad on Tuesday night.
Alisson and Adrian both trained as normal, with the Brazilian due to keep his
place between the sticks.
The only long-term absentees at this point at Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-
Chamberlain, with both Fabinho and Thiago expected back in the coming
weeks.

Liverpool squad training pre-Atalanta

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Adrian
Defenders: Gomez, Matip, R.Williams, Phillips*, Koumetio*, Alexander-
Arnold, Robertson, Tsimikas, N.Williams

Midfielders: Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita, Jones, Cain

Forwards: Salah, Mane, Firmino, Jota, Mina