"He will be in the squad" – Jurgen Klopp provides positive injury update on Liverpool attacker ahead of Leeds United clash
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Luis Diaz is set to return for their upcoming Premier League encounter at Leeds United on Monday, April 17.
Diaz, 26, sustained a knee issue during the Reds' 3-2 loss at Arsenal in October last year. After returning to light training two months later, he aggravated his problem during his team's training camp in Dubai, UAE.
A right-footed inside-forward blessed with pace and shooting, the 37-cap Colombia star has been out of action for around six months. He has slowly returned to first-team training in the past few weeks.
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During a pre-match press conference, Klopp was asked about Diaz's return ahead of their trip to Leeds. He replied:
"Yeah, he's 100 per cent ready in training. He is completely normal in training and now we have to reintegrate him. He will be in the squad if nothing else happens and from there we go. That's it."
When asked whether Diaz is like a new signing, Klopp responded:
"Yeah, absolutely it is. Luis has developed massively. During the time he was out injured, his English has gotten better, so he is really settled. He was here every day.
"Injured players and especially long-term injured players are even more at the training ground than all the others, so every day together with therapists."
Shedding light on Diaz's recovery process at Liverpool, Klopp added:
"He has really matured. He is much more comfortable than he was in the beginning with everything about settling in a new country, so that's really good and it will help him as well. So, we are really happy to have him back.
"He is like a breath of fresh air every day he is in training. He loves it out there, with a smile on his face."
So far, the 2021 Copa America Golden Boot winner has registered four goals and three assists in 12 appearances for Liverpool this campaign.
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