Jurgen Klopp has been given a major boost in the title race as star defender Joe Gomez and energetic midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to training in a bid to make comebacks before the end of the season.

We would not go as far to say Liverpool have struggled since the defender suffered a lower-leg fracture during Liverpool’s victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on December 5 but there has been a noticeable difference in how competently they have defended throughout the period of his absence.

Gomez, who suffered a number of setbacks on his recovery, eventually needing surgery to correct the issue, joined his teammates on Tuesday morning’s session at Melwood and looks to be extremely close to making a comeback, though it is said he still has a bit of work to go before he can convincingly enter the melee of the title race (according to Liverpool’s official website).

Klopp revealed to Liverpoolfc.com: “It is nice – Joe is not injured anymore and nearly fit.

“He will not be in the afternoon training session because he has to do something else – he has to work on his endurance, that’s how it is and how the boys always have to do it, like Ox had to do it when he was finally back in training.

“After a long time, I think Joe was out for 15 weeks, that is long, so he needs to now create the basis again for the rest of the season.”

This will come as extremely welcome news to Liverpool fans who, before Gomez’s injury, enjoyed watching one of the most formidable defensive partnerships in the Premier League develop between the Englishman and Virgil van Dijk.

Oxlade Chamberlain, on the other hand, will continue full training with his teammates next week after a minor setback picked up playing for the under-23s earlier this month.

“I spoke to him a second ago; Ox is positive, we are all positive,” he said. “It was a little setback, it was not more, but it was a setback. That’s how it is.”

“You don’t want to be overly sensitive after a period like this because they train a lot – training is always like this, it’s like stress for the body. You feel something, but you don’t want to mention everything because it [can be] DOMS [delayed onset muscle soreness].

“It was the case with him, it was a little bit more than DOMS, but not really [serious]. We are careful of course, he is working, he is doing a lot and I think will be in training in a week again. Then he will be fine.”

No doubts this will boost a midfield unit slightly lacking dynamic options at the moment.

Liverpool fans, how important are these two players to your title hopes? Let us know in the comments below…

Suddenly, Timo Werner’s been caught up in the middle of a discreet transfer war.

Indeed, Both Bayern Munich and Liverpool are reportedly in the running for him according to the Mirror, but it’s the Bundesliga giants who seem to be ahead. Bayern have previously (via SportBILD) been said to be very close to signing the youngster and could even agree on a deal quickly.

Werner has reportedly been a prime target for Jurgen Klopp for quite some time now. Touted with a move to Anfield for a fairly long time – with BILD suggesting he was a target way back in January – potentially losing out on him would be a blow. With Liverpool in need of another quality striker, the clinical German would certainly add more flavour to their attack.

Knowing his ability to play in a fast-paced system, Werner’s fantastic link-up play means he could create a deadly partnership with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

He’s produced some inspired work in Leipzig over the years, gaining a lot of attention for his heroics. Werner’s already scored 11 goals in 21 appearances in the Bundesliga this league, with his fantastic movement, pace and finishing ability making him an ideal goal-scorer for an attack-minded side.

With Bayern calling (as previously reported by SportBILD), Werner will find it difficult to reject them as he gets a chance to stay in his home country and play for a European giant. Klopp needs to use his influence to convince him to move to Liverpool and give him better guarantees over his growth.

Before he signs any kind of agreement with the Bavarians, Liverpool should use their influence to swoon him away. Werner can not only be an exciting addition but can become a lethal goal-scorer akin to Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez upon arriving at the Premier League.

Liverpool fans, would you like Werner at your club next season? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Charlton were dealt a heavy blow this week in the form of an ankle injury to Krystian Bielik – the Arsenal loanee returned early from international duty with Poland Under-21’s and Lee Bowyer is not expecting any good news regarding his defender.

The Addicks boss admitted to The South London Press: “Krystian is a worry. He came back early after his game. He’s hurt his ankle and we’re not sure how long he is going to be out.

“He went for a scan. We don’t know how serious it is yet, but it doesn’t look too good.”

On the chalkboard

The young Pole has been a solid signing for the Addicks this season and his versatility has been a huge asset to Bowyer, particularly in recent weeks when the fixtures have stacked up heavily.

Predominantly playing as a holding midfielder for Charlton, the number 4 is a centre-half by trade and so when Bowyer made big changes to his XI for the Bristol Rovers clash, Bielik was deployed in a back-three instead.

While a 0-0 stalemate is far from a result to be thrilled with, the conditions were appalling and the Addicks, with standout performances from Anfernee Dijksteel and Josh Cullen, did well to keep a clean sheet.

Cullen’s time

The aforementioned midfielder has been brilliant since signing on loan from West Ham and has deputised for Bielik when the defender has been out – he will likely have to continue at the base of Bowyer’s diamond from now on if the 21-year-old Gunner’s injury is as bad as the Charlton boss fears.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Bielik’s injury also means that Bowyer will struggle to return to a back-three set-up – the Pole offered ball-carrying and passing abilities from deep that are unmatched in the Charlton ranks – so expect the orthodox midfield diamond to return and stay against Bradford this weekend.

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According to Teamtalk, Crystal Palace are among a host of Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Said Benrahma, who has been setting the Championship alight this season. Whether the Eagles can match Brentford’s whopping asking price is uncertain but the Algerian would certainly be an upgrade on one of Palace’s key men.

What’s the word?

Teamtalk understands that Palace are not alone in their interest in the 23-year-old, with fellow London outfits West Ham, Spurs and Arsenal all keeping a close eye on his progress in the second tier.

Despite having only arrived in England in the summer after completing the switch from Nice, the winger has looked like he’s been bursting down the flanks in the Championship for years and could be making yet another big step up at the end of the season.

With all the interest in their young star from the big hitters, the Bees are looking to really cash in – they have slapped a £30m price tag on the wide-man’s head and, while it might be difficult for Palace to stump up that fee, they would have a serial goal-getter on their hands if they could.

Ta-ta, Townsend

Andros Townsend has been in great form for the Eagles this season, with his performances even leading some to name him an outside bet for the England squad, although his numbers for the campaign pale in comparison to those of Benrahma.

Former Spurs man Townsend has chalked up four goals and as many assists in the league this season, while the in-demand Brentford ace has nine and 12 to his name, respectively.

For what is looking like being one of his best seasons in the top flight, Townsend’s numbers don’t quite stack up and, while he is capable of moments of utter magic, his end product still isn’t up to scratch.

Too often does the 27-year-old fire wide or over when he’s found in the box and that poor close-range finishing has surely cost his side at times this season.

Is the FA Cup distracting Crystal Palace fans from their EPL issues? Pla>yamker FC’s Sam thinks so in the video below…

Benrahma has no such troubles and while his eight-figure price tag would mean he arrives at Selhurst Park with big expectations, he would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Townsend if his form in the second tier can translate to the top flight.

When the announcement came that Max Meyer would be joining Crystal Palace, the world of football was shocked.

Meyer, once the heir to the throne of German football and a player many considered to be at the heart of the Germany national team for years to come, was swapping the working class area of the Ruhr Valley for Croydon.

It was a transfer that was met with surprise at first, but then excitement. Here we have a genuinely great player jumping out of his comfort zone for a club that wants to achieve more than just being able to survive the Premier League.

Seven months later, and it looks like all Meyer and Palace will accomplish this season is Premier League survival and a decent FA Cup run.

Palace has always been a club that aims to be ambitious, but when push comes to shove the ending result is always a team that do ‘just enough’, something that Eagles fans will sadly agree with.

Meyer hasn’t failed at the club, the club have failed Meyer. But how?

Since returning to the Premier League, Palace have always played it safe on all areas of the pitch. From lacklustre managerial appointments to just okay signings, the club is yet to truly be stick to an ambitious plan and execute it.

We all remember Frank de Boer’s spell at the club. The former Inter Milan manager was seen as an exciting appointment for Palace and a man who could take the club in a new, bold direction. And what happened? He was gone 10 weeks into his three-year contract and immediately replaced with a safe managerial option.

Whether or not de Boer would have taken Palace down to the Championship is an opinion piece for another day, but the message that sacking showed is something that still sticks with the club. The lack of ambition at the club is as low as you can get for a Premier League side, and Meyer knows this.

The 23-year-old midfielder has been a big underwhelming flop at the club, there are no two ways about it. Here we have a player that the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool were interested in signing when it was announced he will be leaving Schalke at the end of last season, so how has he failed to make an impact at Palace?

For starters, it took a while for Meyer to cement himself as a starter in Hodgson’s team. His first start came at the start of October in a 2-1 loss to Bournemouth, and his only real spell of consecutive starts for the games was between the start of November to the New Year, where he started nine games in a row in the Premier League.

Meyer has never been a player to produce big numbers in goals or assists, but even the most pessimistic of Palace fans would admit that they expected more output from the German this season.

In 29 games this season the 23-year-old midfielder has only mustered two goals and three assists in all competitions, the same number as Cardiff City defender Sol Bamba.

Meyer was an ambitious signing, to begin with. A talented midfielder who had lost the love for his boyhood club and decided to take a different approach to his career. But at what cost? The German is stuck at a club that can only pray for a midtable finish at best and playing under a manager that is more than comfortable to play it safe in most games.

Palace simply lacks the ambition to progress any further as a Premier League side, and if they’re not careful this lack of ambition might come around to haunt them in the future.

Crystal Palace fans, what do you think about the future of your club?

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Liverpool fans have accused Pep Guardiola of being overcome by fear after he revealed he’ll be supporting Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

Reds fans have ripped into the Spaniard, who’s not the most popular figure on Merseyside at the moment, and proclaimed he’s afraid, scared and even terrified of their team having pledged his Bayern allegiance ahead of the Allianz Arena battle.

Kopites will undoubtedly feel confident if they can pick up a win in the German capital and end up drawing the Citizens in the next round, the quarter-finals. Perhaps in contrast to the opposite camp and their manager.

Despite trailing them in the Premier League title race, they were the ones to send Guardiola’s men packing in the Champions League last season and will be keen to relive that in this year’s competition.

However, it’s more than likely that rather than having sleepless nights over Jurgen Klopp’s boys, Guardiola just wants his former club to do well having enjoyed his three years and three Bundesliga titles, two domestic cup trophies, a UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in Munich.

But this hasn’t stopped some Liverpool supporters from getting roused by the comments and tearing into the 48-year-old. Check out some of their best reactions below…

كشف وكيل اللاعبين تامر النحاس عن موعد توثيق عقد اللاعب مروان محسن مع النادي الأهلي.

وقال النحاس تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “النهار”: “الأهلي سيوثق عقد مروان محسن بعد إرسال القائمة الأولى يوم 4 نوفمبر المقبل”. 

وأضاف: “وارد أن يعقد الأهلي جلسة بعد بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا لتجديد تعاقد عمرو السولية”.

وأردف: “لا توجد خطابات رسمية من الزمالك أو الأهلي مع بيراميدز بشأن رجب بكار، حاليًا بكار هو لاعب في بيراميدز ومستمر في تعاقده”.

وكشف: “بيراميدز في حاجة لإعادة التفكير في ملف رجب بكار، هناك بعض العند غير المبرر من الطرفين ولكن أكثر المتحكم في الموضوع هم مسؤولي النادي، يجب أن يتعامل بود واحترام وأن يشارك بشكل جيد في التدريبات وفي المعاملات المادية مثل زملائه، بينما مسألة المشاركة تخص المدير الفني”.

وواصل: “سيكون هناك جلسة مع مسؤولي بيراميدز لتحديد مصير رجب بكار”.

واستطرد: “إيهاب جلال لم يتلق عروضًا من بيراميدز أو الاتحاد السكندري، هو متواجد في أمريكا مع نجله، يقضي فترة راحة وسيعود قريبًا، وبعد ذلك سيتم دارسة العروض المقدمة له”.

واختتم: “إيهاب جلال يمتلك عرضين محليين وآخر من الخليج”.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to discuss the latest news regarding Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, and the majority are keen on prospect of seeing him in a United shirt.

It has been reported that there is a €50m (£42.7m) release clause in the contract of the Ghana international, who has excelled in a central midfield role under Diego Simeone at Atletico this season – he has three goals and three assists to his name in La Liga.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

Partey is a physical presence who is tough in the tackle, and following reports that Paris Saint-Germain are eyeing up a move for Ander Herrera, whose contract is set to expire, the 25-year-old could be an ideal replacement for the Spaniard – although actual links with the Red Devils, such as a recent report from GhanaSoccerNet, seem somewhat tenuous.

He is also an astute dribbler and has the ability to break the lines with some incisive passing, so it’s no surprise that United fans on Twitter are getting excited over his potential arrival…

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Liverpool attacker Xherdan Shaqiri has been forced to withdraw from the latest Switzerland squad due to a groin injury.

There is currently no indication how long the 27-year-old will be on the sidelines for, but Liverpool’s next game is against Tottenham Hotspur on March 31.

It seems that the attacker could be a doubt for the clash with Spurs, a prospect which has provoked plenty of reaction from the Lilywhites faithful on social media.

One fan account drew attention to the injury and plenty of fans responded by insisting that Shaqiri’s absence would not be that much of a big deal for the Reds.

That is perhaps a little harsh on the Swiss playmaker, however, as he has contributed six goals in 21 Premier League appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.

There is no downplaying the importance of the clash between Liverpool and Tottenham at Anfield.

And the Spurs fans have been on social media reacting to Shaqiri’s injury blow:

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Late last week, Fernando Forestieri was found not guilty by the courts for racially aggravated assault of Mansfield player Krystian Pearce.

However, the FA have now opened up more investigations into the Argentine’s part in a mass brawl that occurred between Sheffield Wednesday and Mansfield players during a pre-season friendly last summer.

As a result, he could face further sanctions from English football’s governing body.

It’s news that has made a host of the Hillsborough faithful extremely angry that their player is being treated in the way he is despite being found not guilty.

One supporter claimed it was beyond a joke whilst another said it made them feel sick.

Fans launched a scathing attack at the FA, with one fan branding them a laughing stock.

Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

Forestieri had initially received a three-match ban and a £25,000 fine for his role in the brawl that happened last July. However, his punishment may not be fully complete, according to the Sheffield Star.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Owls fans on Twitter.