Joel Matip and Naby Keita return to Liverpool training ahead of Atalanta Champions League game

ByEurosport

Updated 02/11/2020 at 13:53 GMT

Joel Matip and Naby Keita have returned to Liverpool first-team training but manager Jurgen Klopp is yet to decide if both will feature in Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Italian side Atalanta. Liverpool are without injured duo Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho while Nathaniel Phillips is unavailable as he is not part of the squad.

Joel Matip

Image credit: Getty Images

Joel Matip and Naby Keita could both be available for Liverpool when they face Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Matip has not played since October 17 due to injury but could return to boost a defence that is missing Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk.

Nathaniel Phillips, who impressed on his Premier League debut at the weekend, will also not be available as he is not part of Liverpool's Champions League squad.

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Keita hasn't played since October 4 but is set to be part of the travelling group to Bergamo for Liverpool's third match in Champions League Group D. Fellow midfielder Thiago Alcantara is yet to return to training.

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"Naby and Joel trained yesterday with the team, full, Thiago didn't. So, that's the situation," Klopp told a news conference.

"I have really no idea what I do with this information in the moment because yes, they trained, that's good, it's better than if they don't train. But we have to see what we do with it.

"We have another day to make these decisions. A lot of players will be on the plane hopefully, and so decisions will be made late, late, late."

Atalanta, renowned for their high-octane pressing style under coach Gian Piero Gasperini, defied expectations last season to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Klopp said Atalanta are Liverpool's "biggest challenge in Europe so far" and compared the Italian outfit to Premier League's Leeds United.

"With all Atalanta have done in the last few years, they are a settled team and they are very difficult to play against," Klopp said.

"They are similar to Leeds in the way they set-up. They are a proper fighting unit. They have all our respect and I know how good they are."

Additional reporting by Reuters

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