With Joel Matip already ruled out for the rest of the season, the last thing that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp needs is more injury headaches in defence.
The Reds have a commanding 10-point gap between them and fifth-placed Chelsea in their bid to qualify for the Champions League next season, while they have advanced to the last four in Europe this year and have a real chance of going all the way.
Liverpool face Roma at Anfield in a week’s time in the first leg of their semi-final tie, and so Klopp will be desperate to have as close to a fully-fit squad as possible at his disposal for a crucial period in the campaign.
As noted by Sky Sports, Matip won’t feature again this season, and so the Liverpool Echo reporting that both Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez are set to return to full training this week will be music to the ears of their manager and supporters.
Having been heavily criticised for their defensive frailties earlier in the year, Liverpool have done a commendable job of improving in that department and tightening up at the back.
That has seen them concede just two goals in their last six games in all competitions, and Lovren’s partnership with January signing Virgil van Dijk has been an important part of that improvement.
In turn, having the experienced Croatian international back available to face Roma will be a huge boost, with Liverpool desperate to take a positive result into the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico.
As seen in the last round, the Italian giants are capable of incredible comebacks after eliminating Barcelona, and so they certainly don’t need a helping hand with any away goals at Anfield next week. Lovren in particular will be crucial in ensuring that they don’t hold such an advantage.