Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool have no injury excuses left as title point demanded

Jurgen Klopp has challenged his players to shake off any lingering effects of injuries, admitting Liverpool are no longer in a position to accommodate slow returns to form.

The Reds' squad had been beset by fitness concerns for a number of months until a quartet of comebacks last week finally whittled down the absentees to a manageable level, with just Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip currently sidelined alongside Conor Bradley and Ben Doak.

Trent-Alexander Arnold started his first game since February in Thursday's 1-0 win over Atalanta in the Europa League while goalkeeper Alisson Becker was making just his second since a hamstring problem over two months ago.

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Meanwhile, Diogo Jota was able to make his own return after a couple of months out when he emerged as a substitute in the last week's 3-0 loss to Atalanta in the first leg, but Klopp has been trying to assuage an injury list for most of the calendar and at one point in mid-February, he was unable to call upon as many as 13 first-team players.

However, with the Reds now two points behind leaders Manchester City and just the Premier League left to fight for after an exit from the Europa League at quarter-final stage, the manager says he cannot afford his players the time and space normally needed to get back to full fitness.

“We need Trent Alexander-Arnold, of course, but we need him in a really good shape and form and that's what he has to get up to," said Klopp. "It's not about him and it's not his fault if he wouldn't be, it's just the situation.

"So it is how quickly can we get him