Virgil van Dijk has returned to Liverpool training alongside two of his teammates in a major boost for under-pressure Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds suffered another chastening defeat - their seventh in 20 Premier League games this season - as they were mauled 3-0 by Wolves last Saturday. The loss left them 10th in the table, with hopes of Champions League qualification quickly fading for Klopp's out-of-sorts side.
However, small green shoots are emerging for the Merseysiders, who will welcome many injured players back to the fold before February is out. Van Dijk's return is especially timely for a defence which has leaked goals at an alarming rate since the turn of the year.
The Dutchman was forced off with a knock at half-time in the 3-1 defeat at Brentford on 2 January and missed a 3-0 loss away to Brighton, 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea and last weekend's thrashing by Wolves. Van Dijk has by no means been at his best this season but he remains one of Liverpool's most important players and his return to action will boost those around him.
Monday's Merseyside Derby against Everton may come too soon for the 31-year-old, but he may be passed fit for the trip to Newcastle next Saturday. The same is true for Diogo Jota and Arthur, who have spent months on the sidelines with calf and thigh injuries respectively.
Jota has not played for the Reds since October's clash with Manchester City, while injury-plagued Arthur is somewhat of a forgotten man at Anfield after featuring just once since joining on loan from Juventus last summer. The duo, like Van Dijk, were spotted taking part in team training on Thursday, so they are also closing in on returns to competitive action.
Further, Fabinho could return to face Everton after missing the Wolves game through illness, while Roberto Firmino (calf) and Ibrahima Konate (thigh) are expected back later this month. Liverpool's other injury concern is Luis Diaz, who will not be passed fit until March at the earliest.
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The Colombian winger, who was a standout performer for the Reds in the early stages of the season, suffered a knee injury against Arsenal in October. Diaz has returned to individual fitness training but remains some way off rejoining his teammates.
"Luis is running now, it will take a few weeks still, but he is now out on the pitch as well running, which is really good," Klopp said of the former Porto star at the start of February. Speaking last Friday, the German manager also confirmed Van Dijk is "getting closer" and Jota had responded well to a "full session with the team".
