Van Dijk and Gomez return for Liverpool as Keita offers Klopp hope for new Premier League season

…and so is his mate

And there was extra excellent news for Klopp on the centre-back entrance, with Joe Gomez additionally making his long-awaited return from damage alongside his nice good friend.

Gomez has been absent since November after rupturing a knee tendon on worldwide obligation with England however, like Van Dijk, has diligently labored his means again to full health over the previous eight months.

It hasn’t been straightforward for the 23-year-old, who has had greater than his share of unhealthy luck lately, however he and Van Dijk have pushed one another by means of the ultimate stage of their rehabilitation, and although greater and more durable exams lie in wait, this was an enormous step ahead for each.

With Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip nicely settled, and with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams all the higher for his or her experiences final season, all of a sudden Liverpool’s defence is wanting well-stocked heading into the brand new marketing campaign.

Keita provides hope, however can he stick with it?

If Naby Keita is to determine himself as a key participant for Liverpool, then he might want to do it quickly.

That is the Guinea midfielder’s fourth season with the Reds, however his returns have been dwindling since that much-anticipated transfer from Leipzig.

Keita made 33 appearances in his first yr, 27 in his second and solely 16 final time period. His final aggressive outing, towards Actual Madrid within the Champions League quarter-final in April, ended with him being substituted earlier than half-time for ‘tactical causes’.

He regarded sharp in Friday’s win over Mainz in Grodig, illuminating proceedings together with his nifty footwork and his want to drive ahead with and with out the ball.

And he was equally brilliant right here, neat together with his touches and sharp together with his urgent.

It was that urgent which led to Liverpool’s second purpose, simply earlier than half-time. Keita, alert and aggressive, received the ball again excessive within the Hertha half, after which had the standard to feed Salah, whose good backheel was completed by Minamino. 

Klopp can have loved that, however he is aware of the actual problem with Keita is to return. If he can keep match, Liverpool have an enormous asset on their palms.

It’s the scale of the ‘if’ which will concern the supervisor.

Forwards give Klopp motive for cheer

It has been a gruelling three weeks for Liverpool’s gamers over in Austria, with double classes the norm as Klopp seems to organize them for the rigours of the upcoming marketing campaign.

So it would have happy the supervisor, for positive, to see a number of of his attacking gamers wanting as sharp as they did right here.

Mane acquired his second purpose of pre-season and may need had a hat-trick, seeing two close-range headers saved by the Hertha goalkeeper. 

Salah, too, regarded harmful, fantastically making a purpose for Minamino and bristling with intent all through his hour on the sphere.

Minamino will take confidence from his purpose, whereas there was promise within the type of Curtis Jones and, once more, the teenage duo of Harvey Elliott and Kaide Gordon. 

Gordon, 16, may need had a few targets himself after approaching for a vigorous half-hour cameo. The previous Derby man is actually one to keep watch over sooner or later.

Good, too, to see Jota again and bringing his normal mix of positivity, want and direct working. The identical goes for Robertson, who seems like he hasn’t missed a beat throughout his summer time break, and for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who took his purpose in superb fashion late on.

Respects paid to a real fighter

There was heartbreaking information this week with the passing of Reds supporter Andrew Devine on the age of 55.

Andrew was simply 22 when he suffered life-changing accidents on the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989. 

Since that fateful day, during which 96 fellow Reds followers misplaced their lives and numerous others had theirs modified perpetually, Andrew, who was confined to a wheelchair and required round the clock care, continued to attend matches at Anfield each time doable.

When Liverpool received the Champions League in 2019, their bus tour of town ended at Andrew’s household dwelling in Mossley Hill, as Jurgen Klopp and his gamers paid tribute to one among life’s nice fighters.

On Thursday, Liverpool’s squad held a 97-second silence forward of their coaching session in Tirol. Later, the gamers wore black armbands in Andrew’s reminiscence in the course of the sport with Hertha.

“We have now misplaced an unimaginable particular person,” stated Klopp. “Somebody who confirmed us all what it’s to struggle and who refused to present in even when the expectation was that he might struggle no extra.

“We is not going to overlook Andrew.”

Thirty-two years on, the consequences of Hillsborough proceed to be felt. 

Relaxation in peace Andrew. You’ll By no means Stroll Alone.