Potential injury concern arises for Liverpool ahead of Atalanta clash; no sign of him in training

Liverpool are on the cusp of welcoming several key players back from injury, although one potential concern has arisen ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Atalanta.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, there was no sign of Wataru Endo in training on Tuesday, which may be related to him being substituted midway through the second half of the 2-2 draw at Manchester United last weekend.

That absence also comes just six days after he missed the home win over Sheffield United with a knock, with that problem perhaps recurring in the meantime.

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Considering how reliable Endo has been at the base of Liverpool’s midfield, and the effect that it’s had on Alexis Mac Allister by freeing him up to weave his magic in a more advanced position, Jurgen Klopp certainly won’t want to be without the Japanese enforcer tomorrow night.

It’d be far from ideal if the 31-year-old were to miss a second match in the space of a week due to injury, especially at a time of the season where the fixtures come thick and fast, and with so much riding on each one.

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The hope is that his absence from Kirkby yesterday may simply have been precautionary, and that we might see him involved in the pre-Atalanta session later today. The manager might also offer a more informed update during his press conference this afternoon.

Even with Curtis Jones having now returned to supplement Liverpool’s midfield options, and Stefan Bajcetic back in team training, it’d be a bitter blow to see Endo ruled out for even a short period of time, given how important he’s become to the Reds. Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious.

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