Joel Matip has handed Liverpool a fitness boost ahead of their weekend clash with Chelsea by returning to full training.

The Cameroon defender has missed the Reds’ last two games with a thigh injury, but was pictured taking part in a full session at Melwood on Thursday evening and will be in contention to feature in Saturday’s Premier League blockbuster at Anfield.

Matip’s return will give Klopp a decision to make at centre-back. Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan played against Southampton last weekend, and at Sevilla in midweek. Matip, though, is Klopp’s preferred choice.

With a midweek trip to Stoke on the horizon, it may be that the manager looks to rotate his options, in which case it is likeliest that we will see Matip and Lovren against Chelsea, with Klavan coming into the thinking for Stoke.

Of the rest of Klopp’s regular first-team squad, only Emre Can was not pictured in the floodlit session. The midfielder was a second-half substitute against Sevilla.

Adam Lallana was snapped and could make his return to action against Chelsea after more than three months out with a thigh problem of his own. Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah all trained as normal.

Source: Liverpool Echo