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The Athletic journalist James Pearce has provided an update on three Liverpool players ahead of their UEFA Champions League opener against Napoli. The Red will take on the Italian side in Group A at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on September 7.
Midfielder Thiago Alcantara has returned to first-team training. He limped off with a hamstring injury on the opening day of the Premier League season against Fulham on August 6.
The Spaniard, who has racked up only 185 minutes of action this campaign, is expected to feature in a limited capacity on Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones were absent from the AXA Training Center in Kirkby on Tuesday.
The Portuguese playmaker injured his knee during his team's goalless draw against Everton on Saturday (September 4). Meanwhile, the latter has been sidelined since injuring his calf during a cameo appearance in the Community Shield against Manchester City.
Taking to Twitter, Pearce provided updates on the three Liverpool midfielders. He wrote:
"No sign of Carvalho or Jones in open training at Kirkby. Carvalho forced off in the derby, while Jones wasn't fit for the Everton game having only recently returned. Unclear what the issue is. Good news is that Thiago back in full training and looking sharp."
On the other hand, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has been ruled out of the upcoming clash in Italy with a hamstring injury. Earlier this month, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp shed light on the midfielder's situation. He told the club's official website:
"We are still waiting for the result, to be honest. He is definitely out, he is injured, but the extent I don’t know."
Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also recovering from their respective muscle injuries with unknown return dates. They were recently left out of the club's squad for the UEFA Champions League group stages this season.
Fabinho, Harvey Elliott, James Milner and new loan signing Arthur Melo are among the midfielders currently available in their squad.
After locking horns with Napoli, Liverpool will host Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Premier League contest on Saturday (September 10).
Liverpool face a tricky group stage in UEFA Champions League
Liverpool will hope to lift their seventh UEFA Champions League trophy this season following their defeat in the final last season. The club slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Real Madrid in last edition's summit clash.
The Reds have been drawn with Napoli, Ajax and Rangers in Group A of the competition. While Napoli finished third in Serie A, Ajax won the 2021-22 Eredivisie title last season. Meanwhile, Rangers achieved a second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership last time around.
