
Liverpool have their biggest game of the season tomorrow evening.
Manchester City welcome Jurgen Klopp’s side to Eastlands and although it’s early, the Premier League champions could lay a big marker down in regards to the title.
That being said, City are favourites because despite Liverpool being bang in form, they’ll be without Virgil van Dijk after the influential Dutch defender was ruled out for the rest of the season.
But Klopp might have just hinted that another important centre-back will be available again.
Liverpool have had to make do with the likes of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams in central defence in recent weeks, due to Fabinho and Joel Matip also being injured.
But the German boss has teased a possible return for Matip at the Etihad.
He said, in his pre-match press conference on Friday: “Joel is back and he has had 7/8/9 days training which helps a lot – after the game there is another 14 days training as well. We will see what we will do.”
That last sentence is intriguing as it indicates that the Liverpool boss could well bring him back into the first XI.
Matip, who started a Champions League final for the Anfield outfit, isn’t as important as Van Dijk, but he has an abundance of big-game experience compared to the likes of Phillips and Williams and if he’s available, it’s a massive boost.

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