Fresh off a 2-0 victory over Fulham, Liverpool have shifted their focus back to the European stage. The Reds returned to the AXA Training Centre to prepare for their decisive Champions League second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, bolstered by a significant injury boost regarding a key member of the squad.
Arne Slot‘s men will be praying that they can pull off another magical Champions League comeback when Paris Saint Germain come to Anfield on Tuesday night, with a two-goal deficit needing to be turned around on Merseyside.
This doesn’t seem like a huge deficit to overturn, but the Reds haven’t been the most free-flowing side in recent matches, with defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion, Manchester City, and PSG which resulted in only seeing Slot side score one goal.
Thankfully, their shooting boots were on last time out in the Premier League, as the stumbling Reds comfortably got the better of Fulham 2-0, via goals from Rio Nguhoma and Mohamed Salah.
Nguhoma will be hopeful that he’s done enough to be rewarded with another start against Luis Enrique’s side, having now become the Merseyside outfit’s youngest ever goalscorer at Anfield, at just 17 years and 225 days.
Slot was certainly impressed with the lightning-quick number 73 during his post match press conference stating that Nguhoma is a “special” talent.
The Reds tactical outlook has been further strengthened by the emergence of their teenage starlet, whose standout performance against the Cottagers has provided Slot with a welcome selection headache.
Coupled with the return of a vital senior figure to the grass, the Liverpool head coach finds his squad depth replenishing at a pivotal moment in the European campaign.
Slot handed injury boost ahead of PSG
As expected, Alisson remained out of training on Monday afternoon, with the Brazilian some way off a first-team return.
But, to the amazement of Slot and others watching on, Curtis Jones was spotted going through the drills at the AXA Training Centre, just days on from limping off with a groin injury against Marco Silva’s team.
Forced off against Fulham, owing to discomfort in his groin, the Dutchman was rather subdued with his thoughts on the injury post-match.
He said: “Let’s hope for the best, but I would be surprised if he is available for Tuesday.”
It remains to be seen whether he starts against the Ligue 1 giants, but this is an encouraging development nonetheless for Slot, in a season that has so often been cruel in the injury department.
He could be well suited to the showdown to come at Anfield, with the homegrown asset no doubt keen on wanting to come straight back into the first team fold after his injury niggle to guide his boyhood side to a memorable Champions League triumph.
Jones’ encouraging 45 minutes vs Fulham:
| Stat | Performance |
| Minutes played | 45 |
| Goals / Assists | 0 / 0 |
| Touches | 44 |
| Pass accuracy | 38/39 (97%) |
| Possession lost | 2x |
| Attempted tackles | 1 |
| Ball recoveries | 5 |
| Duels won | 1/3 |
Only misplacing one of his 39 passes against Fulham, before his injury difficulties took over, he might well be preferred to the likes of Alexis Mac Allister against their Parisian opponents.
It will require a monstrous effort from Liverpool to get the better of PSG over two legs, with Slot now left scratching his head as to what his strongest possible starting XI will look like, as Jones has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons by bravely battling back from his groin problems so quickly.
