Curtis Jones back in training as rarely spotted midfielder fills Thiago void

October 18, 2021
Jack Lusby

Curtis Jones returned to Liverpool training on Monday after missing the 5-0 win at Watford with a groin injury, joined by another long-time academy team-mate.

The Reds are set to travel to Spain later today ahead of their Champions League group stage clash with Atletico Madrid.

Having sealed a 5-0 win at Watford on Saturday, Jurgen Klopp‘s side can take momentum into their third fixture in Group B, building on victories over AC Milan and Porto.

The manager was without both Alisson and Fabinho at Vicarage Road, but the pair will return to availability having travelled directly to Madrid from international duty with Brazil to avoid quarantine issues in the UK.

Klopp will also be able to call upon Jones again, with the midfielder having missed the Watford game due to a groin injury before returning to training.

Jones was part of the 21-man outfield squad to undergo a warmup led by head of fitness and conditioning Andreas Kornmayer, joined by academy midfielder Elijah Dixon-Bonner.

Dixon-Bonner, 20, is not currently part of Liverpool’s Champions League squad and is unlikely to travel, though he could be registered as part of List B as late as midnight on Monday.

The ex-Arsenal youth spent much of the summer on trial with League One side Portsmouth, but failed to secure a switch to Fratton Park and has returned to the under-23s squad, for whom he has made six appearances so far this term, scoring once.

It seems Dixon-Bonner was drafted in to pad out the numbers due to Fabinho being in Spain and Thiago still being sidelined with a calf problem.

No return date has been set for Thiago, who has missed the last four games, with Klopp admitting prior to the trip to Watford that the situation was “a bit disappointing.”

There were no other surprises in Liverpool’s training squad, with the likes of Naby Keita, James Milner, Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip coming through Saturday’s win unscathed.