Liverpool vs Atalanta: Two stars ready for long-awaited returns

Liverpool could now welcome two first-team stars back vs Atalanta on Thursday. The Reds have had to wait over six weeks for the pair.

The Liverpool Echo reports that both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota could return for Liverpool against Atalanta on Thursday. The Reds will host the Italians in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Both Alexander-Arnold and Jota trained with the first-team this week, setting them up for returns. Both came through well, says the report, and that puts them into immediate contention.

Now, there’s no suggestion that either would start against Atalanta - it’s too soon for that. But the process of easing them back into the team could well start.

Alexander-Arnold has been missing for exactly two months. His last appearance was the 3-1 win against Burnley on February 10th, while Jota last played a week after that as Liverpool beat Brentford.

And so it’s been over six weeks without both of them - a spell that saw the pair miss some of Liverpool’s biggest games of the season. It’s certainly a case of better late than never, though, and the wait is almost over for Jurgen Klopp and co.

Liverpool to welcome stars back

Alisson Becker and Stefan Bajcetic also returned with Alexander-Arnold and Jota but neither will feature on Thursday.

Alisson is still waiting to get back to full first-team training, so it could be another week or so before he’s ready. Bajcetic is expected to start his comeback with the Under 21s, given he hasn’t played at all since September.

Exactly how long it will be until Bajcetic features again is very unclear but he should make an appearance or two before the season is out. Alisson, though, is still in line to play a key part in the run-in as Liverpool fight on two fronts.