Joel Matip is still in big doubt for Liverpool’s visit from Manchester United on Sunday.
The defender has not appeared for the Premier League champions since they went out of the 1-1 draw with West Brom on 27 December.
Matip suffered an adductor problem in the second half of the game against the Baggies and has lost the last three games as a result.
With only Fabinho available as a partner in one of the unknown duo Rhys Williams or Nat Phillips, Jurgen Klopp had hoped that Matip would be able to say he was fit in time for the class at the top of the table Sunday.
Matip, however, missed group training Wednesday as Klopp and his staff pushed the players through their steps at the club’s AXA Training Center in Kirkby.
The ECHO understands that Matip did not stop his recovery and instead worked on his own to a fitness program designed specifically for him.
With the game coming up on Sunday afternoon, however, time is running out for Matip to be ready for what represents Liverpool ‘s biggest campaign of the campaign so far.
Klopp likes to make sure his returning players are able to come through two full training sessions unannounced before being considered for selection.
And with just three sessions left before Sunday’s visit from the new Premier League leaders, Matip’s selection remains questionable.
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With Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk likely to be sidelined for much of the campaign after separate surgeries in the fall, Klopp had to struggle with just Matip as the only known high back.
As a result, Fabinho has been turned into an emergency defender for almost the entire season so far.
It has been another injury campaign for former Schlake man Matip, with fitness issues limiting him to just 10 of Liverpool ‘s 27 games this season.
“Yes – we will try to work on that openly,” Klopp said when asked if Matip would be fit in time to face United six days ago.
“Until the United game we still have about nine days, so we’ll try. It’s in a good way but if it’ll be United or a few days later, I don’t know.”
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Naby Keita is also facing his own battle to qualify in time for Sunday ‘s game after training to lose himself on Wednesday afternoon.
The former RB Leipzig star has not been seen since the 7-0 win over Crystal Palace on December 19 and remains a doubt for Sunday’s game.
Like Matip, Keita is another who has been hit with a series of injury problems this season.
The midfielder has appeared just 11 times in all tournaments this term, starting seven in total.