Liverpool upbeat over Roberto Firmino’s fitness to face Barcelona
The Brazil forward missed Friday’s 5-0 Premier League win over Huddersfield with a small muscle tear, but was still included in the 23-man squad selected by coach Jurgen Klopp and took part in team training on Tuesday before flying to Spain later in the day.
Liverpool are increasingly confident Roberto Firmino will be fit to face Barcelona at the Camp Nou in Wednesday’s first leg of their Champions League semi-final against the La Liga giants.
The Brazil forward missed Friday’s 5-0 Premier League win over Huddersfield with a small muscle tear, but was still included in the 23-man squad selected by coach Jurgen Klopp and took part in team training on Tuesday before flying to Spain later in the day.
“We all knew from the beginning it would be a race,” Klopp told Liverpool’s website when commenting on Firmino’s fitness.
“We don’t have to make a decision today because there’s no game today, we can wait.
“It looked good so far, but I have until tomorrow to make that decision,” added the German, whose side are also battling Manchester City in a title race that looks destined to go to the wire.
Meanwhile Fabinho was passed fit after the midfielder missed the 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield following a head injury sustained in the previous game against Cardiff.
“Every human being needs time and he needed that time, but if the Huddersfield game had been a day later he could have played,” Klopp said.
Mohamed Salah also appeared to confound rumours of an injury scare by taking a full part in Tuesday’s training session.