Daniel Sturridge could return for Liverpool's Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace at the weekend after being left out of their travelling squad for Hoffenheim.

The Reds face the Bundesliga outfit in the first-leg of their Champions League play-off round qualifier on Tuesday night, but striker Sturridge has not travelled with the squad because of a thigh injury.

The England international has not featured for Jürgen Klopp's side since a pre-season clash with Bayern Munich in the Audi Cup two weeks ago, but is nearing a return to fitness according to Klopp.

Speaking at Hoffenheim's Rhein-Necker-Arena ahead of the first-leg with the German team, Klopp declared that Sturridge is "in a good way" and revealed: "We had a talk this morning and he was really close. He looked good yesterday."

He added that "two more sessions" and the 27-year-old "will be available for the weekend" when Liverpool host Frank de Boer's charges at Anfield.

Embed from Getty Images

Coutinho still missing from contention

Also missing from the 22-man contingent that have flown to the small village of Hoffenheim is playmaker Philippe Coutinho - who has dominated the headlines in the past week.

The Brazilian asked to leave the club the day before Liverpool's opening Premier League game at Watford as he looks to push through a move to Barcelona and is currently sidelined by a back injury.

On Coutinho's desire to leave, Klopp explained: "Nothing has changed in the last few days, not on the one side, not on the other side. He is not available for us in the moment, that's the main issue if you want."

The German told reporters in his homeland that Coutinho "cannot play for Liverpool in this moment" and said it is "how everybody can imagine" that it is "quite a blow" for the club.

He added: "We've known for a few days about it so we can prepare this game without him, like we have to prepare the game without Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge."

Lallana - with a severe thigh injury - and right-back Nathaniel Clyne - who has not featured in any of the club's pre-season campaign - are also both sidelined, with Liverpool having taken a largely youthful and second-string squad for the first-leg.

They face a Hoffenheim side making their European debut after finishing fourth in the German top-flight under the management of 30-year-old phenomenon Julian Nagelsmann last term.

Full Liverpool squad to face Hoffenheim: Simon Mignolet, Loris Karius, Danny Ward; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alberto Moreno, Dejan Lovren, Joël Matip, Joe Gomez, Ragnar Klavan, Jon Flanagan, Andrew Robertson; Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Emre Can, Marko Grujić, James Milner; Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Ryan Kent, Roberto Firmino, Dominic Solanke, Divock Origi.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.