Luis Diaz set to hand Liverpool HUGE injury boost ahead of Manchester City clash - but Thiago Alcantara mystery deepens

• Colombian absent since October with knee issue
• Has returned to full training this week
• Nunez also available but Thiago still sidelined

WHAT HAPPENED? The Colombian has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury in the defeat to Arsenal back in October, but returned to full training at Kirkby on Tuesday, and providing there is no adverse reaction, Diaz will be part of Jurgen Klopp's squad for the trip to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: The news will come as a huge boost for Klopp, whose side face a crunch eight days in the battle for a top-four finish. After facing City, the Reds travel to Chelsea on Tuesday before hosting league leaders Arsenal at Anfield on April 9.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Klopp is also expecting to have Darwin Nunez available for the weekend, despite the striker pulling out of the recent Uruguay squad due to a leg injury. The midfielder Thiago Alcantara, however, remains sidelined with a mysterious hip issue. The Spaniard has not featured since the beginning of February, with Liverpool initially expecting him to be absent for up to four weeks, and is yet to return to team training, so looks set to miss another crunch period for Klopp's side.

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WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL? The Reds currently sit sixth in the Premier League, seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, albeit with two games in hand. With Newcastle five points clear of the Reds, they know defeat at Manchester City on Saturday (12:30 GMT) could all but end their Champions League qualification hopes.