Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has delivered positive updates on Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez as they continue their returns from injury.
The England international defenders are now in contention to figure in pre-season plans, says the Reds boss.
Gomez has been sidelined after suffering knee ligament damage in November 2020, while Alexander-Arnold saw his Euro 2020 dreams dashed with a thigh problem.
What has been said?
Ahead of friendlies with FC Wacker Innsbruck and Stuttgart on Tuesday, Klopp told Liverpool's official website with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk also returning to fitness: "It’s different [for each of them]. I think there is absolutely no doubt Joel can play on Tuesday.
"Trent looks for me like [he can] but I will have to speak to the medical department and they will tell me if it is too early. I don’t think [it is], I think he could play a few minutes on Tuesday.
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"Then, Joe and Virgil are in a similar situation – not exactly the same, but similar. Both have done parts of our normal training and then they have to do extra parts.
"Yesterday we had to do some sprints – hard sprints and these kind of things, which we didn’t do in the normal training – so they do extra stuff and sometimes a little bit less if the things what we are doing is too intense for them. They are getting closer and closer, that’s the impression we have.
"What they did in training so far worked really well and we will see when we can involve them in complete normal training – I don’t know that and I don’t rush it either. It makes no sense, we waited so long and now we can wait a few days longer, that’s no problem."
Did Gomez suffer a setback?
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Liverpool are eager to get their first-choice defensive unit together, with Ibrahima Konate having been added this summer.
There were suggestions that Gomez had suffered a setback, but Klopp insists there is no substance to those rumours.
He added on the 24-year-old centre-half: "Not at all. No setbacks at all. Not for Joe, nothing – he’s trained completely normal.
"That’s the thing, these boys are not injured anymore, they are just not at 100 per cent yet. There are usually setbacks but so far there were no setbacks with Joe and Virgil and nobody [else] – they are all fine. What they had to do they did, no reaction with the knee, nothing, all fine. The world wide web had obviously too much time."
Is Alexander-Arnold ready to go?
The 22-year-old right-back was named in England's squad for this summer's European Championship, but had to withdraw through injury and watch on from afar as Gareth Southgate's side reached a first major final in 55 years.
He is raring to go again now, with a man who came in for criticism at times last season adamant that he is back in peak condition.
Alexander-Arnold has told Liverpool's official website: "[I’m] fully pain-free. I’ve been doing a lot of rehab when we were off over the summer with the physios and the medical staff, which was good for me.
"I feel fit, I feel healthy and I’m back in full training now, so it’s good. It’s good for me.
"I’ve done quite a few sessions with the lads now, I feel fit enough to play. But the decision comes from the manager, the staff and obviously the medical staff, they need to talk and see if it’s worth the risk.
"If not, there’s a game on Friday as well, so whether it’s a case of a few minutes on Tuesday and play a bit more on Friday [against Mainz], ease me in like that, who knows? Either way, I’ll be ready to play."