Thiago Alcantara returns to training at Liverpool this week and gives the midfield department a new look in a huge boost ahead of transfer deadline day.
While there has been talk of rebuilding Liverpool’s midfield in recent months, there is one prominent member of the department who has been conspicuous only by his absence.
As the most decorated member of the entire Reds squad, it seems strange to think of Thiago Alcantara as a forgotten man, but in the opening month of the new Premier League season he has yet to be seen in the club’s training ground. .
While Thiago and his ongoing recovery from surgery have made him a hotly debated midfielder, his imminent return will at least breathe new life into the heated debate.
According to Jürgen Klopp, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich star is expected to train this week, giving the Reds a major boost. With Wataru Endo starting alongside new signings Dominikl Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAllister,
Newcastle’s new-look engine room debuted in less than ideal conditions on Sunday afternoon. Endo, whose international cap came just hours before the 3-1 win against Bournemouth on 19 August, was thrown headfirst into the deep end at St James’ Park when he was tasked with thwarting Newcastle’s aerial attack alongside Mac Allister and Mac Allister. Szoboszlai,
who by comparison looked like long-lived athletes, having at least enjoyed a full pre-season program.
If you think of a department looking to emerge from the long shadow of the Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner era, which was particularly trophy-laden between 2019 and 2022, teething problems are to be expected.
Consider the curious statistic that Endo has played 56 of Liverpool’s 86 minutes so far with the man down, and it becomes even clearer why Klopp and his backroom staff still have a job or two to do. park The upcoming national team break will give the manager a chance to do this in tactical and analytical meetings, but before that, the visit of Aston Villa awaits on Sunday afternoon.
It is not yet known if Thiago has been cleared for this, but returning to training at the AXA Center this week is at least a big step forward for a player whose last game was in April.
The decision to end Thiago’s season at the start of last term was made in the hope that he would be ready to hit the ground running in time for the 23/24 campaign. As a result, he went under the knife in May and played in six finals in total, most recently coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 win over West Ham on 26 April.
The influx of fresh blood, in theory, allowed Liverpool to be less dependent on a player who, for all his gifts, never proved the most durable. However, with just three out the door in a summer that saw at least five leave – and the return of Arthur Melo to Juventus – it seems that at least some feel the Reds are missing at least one of the game.
Long-term interest in Ryan Gravenberch at Bayern Munich appears to back up those claims, but links with the defensive midfielder have slowed since Endo’s capture earlier this month.
This could suit Liverpool well as they look to quietly assess the market in the final days.
Suggestions that interest in the specialist keeper has now faded since the addition of Endo may just be semantics, as the Reds would probably prefer a big-money signing rather than “just” carry water and destroy, but it’s intriguing to see. what the recruitment department has up its sleeve in recent days in a window that has become increasingly difficult to predict since the arrival of £60m Szoboszlai at the start of July.
As Thiago enters the final part of his tenure at Anfield, there has never been an appetite to offload him in this window, and even less so now with the shock and sudden departures of Fabinho and Henderson.
Thiago, who reportedly turned down a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia this summer, is significantly more valuable to Klopp as he can feature in the upcoming campaign than he would be if the club decide to cash in. At the age of 32, in the last year of his contract. His quality and experience are impeccable and could yet be a guide for relatively inexperienced midfielders looking to take the club back to where they feel they belong. While no one would call Thiago’s return a “new deal” without irony, the return of a unique performer is timely for Filip Klopp, who certainly has few illusions about his squad’s imperfections. despite an impressive start to the new seas
