Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed a double injury boost for the Reds ahead of Thursday's Premier League clash with Sheffield United, but a key midfielder has emerged as a late doubt.
The Merseyside giants are bidding to make it back-to-back top-flight triumphs at Anfield in the wake of a 2-1 come-from-behind beating of Brighton & Hove Albion on Easter Sunday, after which title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City played out a goalless stalemate.
Thanks to the Etihad draw, Klopp's men entered April with a two-point lead over Arsenal atop the Premier League standings, while they have a three-point buffer to reigning champions Man City.
However, Liverpool will drop to second on Wednesday evening if Arsenal overcome Luton Town to rise to the summit, while Man City will also leapfrog the Reds should they overcome Aston Villa by at least five goals.
Klopp's ranks are already ravaged by the absences of Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic, Diogo Jota, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara, none of whom will be fit to face the Blades on Thursday.
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Curtis Jones, Andrew Robertson available again
At his pre-game press conference, though, Klopp confirmed that Curtis Jones (shin) and Andrew Robertson (ankle) were both back at his disposal, the former returning after several weeks out since hurting himself against Brentford in the middle of February.
Meanwhile, Robertson sustained his issue while representing Scotland last month and was forced to miss the beating of Brighton, but he avoided a severe problem and will be in the squad on Thursday night.
"Curtis is in training, full training, and is in contention. Yeah, that's it pretty much. That doesn't mean he can play 90 minutes, he can play a few minutes," the German told reporters, before confirming that Robertson would make a "very important" return and issuing an update on the recoveries of four more troops.
"The other boys [are] doing well. Diogo and Trent are together in a group, which helps both, but [it] looks like from next week on they will be hopefully in parts of team training, and then we will see the rest," Klopp added.
"Ali is with the goalkeeper coaches, so I just see them through the fence, but that looks good as well. I think in his mind as well, next week parts of team training. He [Bajcetic] trains now fully with the U21s this week. That means we will take him in training next week to us and then we will see. Another one coming and that's super-important."
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Wataru Endo to be assessed due to knock
Jones's recovery is particularly timely for Klopp, who also revealed that summer signing Wataru Endo suffered a blow in the weekend's victory and would need a once-over ahead of Thursday's affair.
"Wataru, what a player, what a guy. He got a knock in the last game, so we have to see for tomorrow what we can do with him," Klopp said on the 31-year-old, who managed to complete the full 90 minutes of Sunday's game despite his affliction.
With Endo potentially being rested, the door could swing open for Jones to make an immediate return to the Liverpool midfield trident, where Alexis Mac Allister could revert to a number six role in place of the former.
Should Klopp avoid risking Jones from the off, as he hinted he would do in his press conference, he is still spoiled for choice in midfield; Ryan Gravenberch, James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Harvey Elliott are all waiting in the wings.
While Liverpool seek to maintain their status as Premier League leaders, Sheffield United will remain bottom of the table even if they can pull off a shock win at Anfield, where they have not prevailed since 1994.
Ben Knapton
