Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara has returned to team training ahead of Wednesday's Champions League Group A opener with Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The injury-plagued Spaniard has not taken to the field for the Reds since suffering a serious thigh injury against Fulham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
There were fears that Thiago could initially spend up to six weeks on the sidelines with the issue, which could have seen him remain absent until after the international break.
However, the 31-year-old has made great strides in his recovery over the past few weeks, and Jurgen Klopp confirmed last week that he expected Thiago to return to training before the clash with Napoli.
Liverpool opened up a portion of their training session to the media on Tuesday morning, where Thiago was pictured joining in with warm-up exercises alongside the rest of the squad.
🔴 🎥 Liverpool squad training ahead of Champions League clash against Napoli
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 6, 2022
Thiago ✅
Jota ✅
Henderson ❌ pic.twitter.com/4GHg6XKZYD
The former Bayern Munich man is therefore expected to make the journey to Naples, but Klopp will give a further update on his condition during his evening press conference.
Thiago has become an integral cog in the Liverpool engine room since arriving in 2020, registering three goals and five assists in 71 matches for the Reds, albeit while missing a further 50 games through injury.
Thiago is one of several Liverpool midfielders who have been confined to the treatment room this season, with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both still out with muscular issues.
Captain Jordan Henderson was not spotted in Tuesday's training session after suffering a hamstring injury against Newcastle United last week, and he is expected to sit out the trip to Naples as well.
Furthermore, 20-year-old Fabio Carvalho was not involved in team training after coming off with a dead leg in Saturday's draw with Everton, while Curtis Jones was also missing for unexplained reasons.
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Carvalho started alongside Harvey Elliott and Fabinho in the Liverpool midfield at Goodison Park, but Thiago, James Milner and Arthur Melo are all in contention to take his place this week.
Juventus loanee Arthur unexpectedly received international clearance in time to make the bench against Everton, and he will hope to be handed his debut against the Partenopei.
As well as the abundance of absent midfielders, Liverpool continue to work without Caoimhin Kelleher, Calvin Ramsay and Ibrahima Konate, the latter of whom is expected to return from his knee problem after the international break.
Liverpool - who will also meet Ajax and Rangers in Group A - travel to Napoli aiming to become the first-ever English side to win seven Champions League group-stage games on the bounce following their perfect record last year.
Ben Knapton
