Jurgen Klopp confirms 24-year-old is back in contention to face Southampton | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that 24-year-old Nat Phillips is back in contention to play following his recent injury troubles.

Klopp has revealed that Phillips has been back in training this week and made it clear he was fit on Thursday, with Liverpool facing Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Phillips missed out on Liverpool’s draws with Leeds and Newcastle in the Premier League with a knock and could now make his return against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

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ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

This is a huge boost for Liverpool for more reasons than one. Not only does it allow Klopp to bring back one of Liverpool’s top performers in recent months, but it also means Fabinho can slot back into his natural midfield position instead of being forced to play as a makeshift centre-back. Fabinho played every single minute of the last two games at centre-back and recorded dismal WhoScored ratings of 6.07 and 6.59, after starting the previous three Premier League games in midfield and not dropping below 6.75 in any of them.

Therefore, Fabinho moving back into midfield could improve Liverpool’s chances of winning. The Brazilian can slot in at the base of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield and help win the ball back high up the pitch in order to sustain attacks against Southampton. It is not always about the number of tackles and interceptions you make, but also where on the pitch they are. If Fabinho can win a tackle in Southampton’s half of the pitch it could facilitate a counter-attack for the Reds and allow the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to race forward and catch the Saints napping at the back.

Phillips potentially coming back in at centre-back could also boost Liverpool’s chances. The centre-back, who is now in contention to start, has averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.09 in the Premier League across 12 appearances. This shows how well he has performed in the league for Liverpool this season and why he could play a key role this weekend if he plays.