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Klopp unsure if Henderson & Matip will be fit for Liverpool's Premier League opener with Leeds
The duo have been stepping up their recovery from injury, but may not be ready in time for the clash with Marcelo Bielsa's side
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is unsure whether defender Joel Matip and midfielder Jordan Henderson will be fit in time for the Premier League champions' season opener against Leeds next month.
Reds skipper Henderson has not played since suffering a knee injury in the win at Brighton on July 8, meaning he missed the remaining four games of the 2019-20 season.
Matip, meanwhile, suffered a foot injury against Merseyside rivals Everton in their first game of the Premier League restart at the end of June, ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.
Both players travelled to Austria with the rest of the Liverpool squad for a pre-season training camp last week, though neither featured in friendlies against Stuttgart and Red Bull Salzburg.
They were also absent at Wembley on Saturday, when Klopp’s side were beaten on penalties by Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Henderson has been left out of the England squad for Nations League games against Iceland and Denmark in early September to allow him to focus on regaining his fitness.
He and Matip are expected to take part in some full training sessions at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground next week, though neither are certain to be fully fit for when the Reds begin the defence of their title against newly-promoted Leeds at Anfield on September 12.
When asked about Henderson’s possible participation in that game, Klopp told the club’s website: “For that we have to see when he trains.
“I think Joel and Hendo will be in parts of team training next week and we will see. Of course, the longer they have the better the chance is, but I don’t know in this moment.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to be fit for the clash with Leeds despite missing the Community Shield and Austrian training camp through injury.
The 21-year-old was pencilled in to take part in a training session on Sunday for those who were not involved in Saturday’s game at Wembley.
He is then due to link up with Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for their Nations League double header, before returning to Merseyside just three days before the start of the new campaign.
