Virgil van Dijk has handed Liverpool a major injury boost ahead of next week's visit from Real Madrid after stepping up his return on Thursday.
The Reds centre-back hasn't played since he was withdrawn at the half-time mark of the 3-1 loss to Brentford on January 2 with a hamstring concern but returned to light duties at the AXA Centre last week.
As a result, Van Dijk was fit enough to be included as part of the substitutes for Monday's 2-0 win over Everton but was left on the bench as goals from Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo gave Jurgen Klopp's side a much-needed victory at Anfield.
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The Netherlands captain has since been cleared to return to full team training at the Kirkby facility and took part in the session on Thursday ahead of Saturday's trip to Newcastle United in the Premier League.
With Ibrahima Konate currently sidelined with a hamstring issue of his own, Van Dijk's return is a timely one for Klopp as the Reds look to chop down the deficit to fourth-placed Newcastle to just six points at the weekend.
Klopp will deliver an update on his No.4's fitness when he speaks to the media on Friday lunchtime but if the Newcastle game comes too soon for Van Dijk, his comeback is still welcome news ahead of Real Madrid's visit to Anfield next week.
The Reds host los Blancos in a repeat of last year's Champions League final in the first leg of their last-16 tie and Van Dijk will be desperate to play some part against the European champions as Klopp's men look to get one over on the team they were beaten by in the 2022 showpiece in Paris last May.
Diaz steps up
Elewhere, Luis Diaz handed Klopp another significant piece of good news as he was pictured out on the turf running for the first time since undergoing knee surgery in December.
Diaz hasn't played since early October when he was forced off in the 3-2 loss at Arsenal and was forced to fly back to Merseyside after suffering a setback in his recovery on the club's mid-December trip to Dubai during the World Cup.
The Colombia international is not scheduled to be back until March but an update on the winger will be forthcoming from Klopp on Friday when he delivers the latest injury news ahead of Saturday's trip to the North East.
Diaz was included in the Champions League squad for the knockout stages and said last week that a return for the second leg against Real Madrid on March 15 was a target.
Arthur and Doak in action
Arthur Melo was also part of the session as he continues to build up his fitness following a return to training last week. The Brazilian has played just 13 minutes of senior football since moving on loan from Juventus on August's transfer deadline day and was forced to undergo thigh surgery in October.
Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino were both able to play a part too after their returns from the bench against Everton. . The Portugal international had been sidelined for four months with a serious calf problem before his second-half cameo against the Blues, while Firmino had been out of action since the World Cup break with a thigh problem.
Meanwhile teenage winger Ben Doak featured during the session on Thursday afternoon.
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