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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Paul Gorst

Luis Diaz boost confirmed as Jurgen Klopp names Liverpool team to take on Leeds United

Luis Diaz is named in a Liverpool match-day squad for the first time in over six months as Jurgen Klopp picks an unchanged team at Leeds United.

Diaz hasn't played for the Reds since suffering a knee injury after a collision with Arsenal's Thomas Partey in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates in early October and his absence has been keenly felt as the Reds have tumbled down the division to eighth.

The Colombian international was forced to undergo surgery in December after suffering a serious setback in his recovery on the club's mid-season trip to Dubai but after more than half a year on the sidelines, the winger is back in the squad at Elland Road.

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Liverpool haven't played since that 2-2 draw with Arsenal eight days ago and having had the full week to work on the training ground at the AXA Centre in Kirkby, Klopp has selected the same lineup that started the game against the current Premier League leaders.

That means Trent Alexander-Arnold starts at right-back, despite speculation that he might be moved into midfield. The No.66 joins Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson in the back four but the defender might be asked to step into midfield in the same way he did so effectively against Arsenal last week.

The right-back switched to a more central role at times against the Gunners and was instrumental in helping the Reds fight back to earn a draw, setting up Roberto Firmino for the header that made it 2-2.

In midfield, it's a third successive start for Curtis Jones, which makes it his best run of an injury-hit campaign in the team. The England Under-21 international joins Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson in the engine room with Thiago Alcantara left on the substitutes' bench.

Up top, Diogo Jota is preferred to Darwin Nunez once more on the left as Cody Gakpo leads the line with Mohamed Salah stationed out on the right. Roberto Firmino joins Nunez on the bench as the Reds aim to close the gap on the European places by securing just their fourth away win of the campaign.

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Jota.

Subs: Kelleher, Thiago, Milner, Firmino, Elliott, Tsimikas, Diaz, Nunez, Matip.

Leeds: Meslier, Kristensen, Koch, Struijk, Firpo, Roca, McKennie, Aaronson, Harrison, Sinisterra, Rodrigo.

Subs: Robles, Ayling, Forshaw, Cooper, Summerville, Rutter, Gnonto, Wober, Greenwood.

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