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IMAGE CREDITS: LIVERPOOL

Jurgen Klopp has issued a challenge to his players, urging them to overcome any lingering effects of injuries, as Liverpool can no longer afford slow returns to form.

The Reds’ squad has been plagued by fitness concerns for several months.

However, a quartet of comebacks last week finally reduced the number of absentees to a manageable level.

Currently, only Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip remain sidelined, alongside Conor Bradley and Ben Doak.

Trent-Alexander Arnold made his first start since February in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Atalanta in the Europa League.

Alisson Becker also made just his second appearance since recovering from a hamstring problem over two months ago.

Additionally, Diogo Jota made his return as a substitute in last week’s 3-0 loss to Atalanta in the first leg, after being out for a couple of months.

Klopp has been grappling with an injury crisis for most of the calendar year.

At one point in mid-February, he was unable to call upon as many as 13 first-team players.

Now, with Liverpool trailing leaders Manchester City by two points and only the Premier League left to fight for after their Europa League exit at the quarter-final stage, Klopp insists that he cannot afford his players the luxury of time and space typically required to regain full fitness.

“We need Trent Alexander-Arnold, of course, but we need him in a really good shape and form and that’s what he has to get up to,” said Klopp.

“It’s not about him and it’s not his fault if he wouldn’t be, it’s just the situation.

“So it is how quickly can we get him rolling, if you want, the same for Diogo.

“We have to find a way to help the boys in the best way, to bring them as quickly as possible into their best form or shape and from there we have to go.

“But of course each player plays with that quality anyway and without them we wouldn’t have a chance.

“With them we have a chance, with them in a really good football moment the chance gets bigger and bigger.”

Klopp added: “There is no perfect way, the boys more or less have to get through this by themselves.

We had an injury with Conor Bradley, so it means one right-back solution is gone so it’s good that Trent is back.

“So now he will probably find a way into it on the field by doing it.

“If you are not in a great moment it is really tricky for them as well so they should not be the ones who turn it around?

“The boys who played much more rhythm have to set the level and the other boys fit in and then push us to the next level.”

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