The return of Luis Diaz gives Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool a luxury that will be missed next season
Luis Diaz is close to making his first Liverpool appearance in six months with Leeds on Monday, but expectations of him will be tempered
The road back for Luis Diaz to get to this point has been long and winding.
The Colombian international made a flying start to his career at Liverpool and was rocked by a challenge from Arsenal’s Thomas Partey in a 3-2 defeat by the Emirates on 9 October.
At a time when the Reds were plagued by fitness, confidence and energy issues, the loss of the player who was arguably their best in those opening weeks of the Premier League season was a huge blow, especially for Klopp, who has then he was seen all his life. campaign that slowly crumbles due to the absence of Diaz.
After returning to fitness with long and often grueling rehabilitation sessions at the club’s AXA Training Centre, Diaz appeared to be in line for a timely post-World Cup return, joining from Porto in January 2022 for an initial fee of £37 millions. .
The South American’s desire to get back on the pitch as soon as possible was so great that he even included scheduled rest days in his schedule to continue his rehabilitation before his world collapsed again in Dubai during a mid-season training session . Diaz was immediately sent back to Merseyside to undergo knee surgery which virtually destroyed his entire tenure. His partner Gera Ponce posted on Instagram at the time below a photo of the Liverpool winger lying in a hospital bed after surgery to correct his lateral collateral ligament.
“Sometimes the difficulties that arise in our lives directly prepare us to embark on an extraordinary path,” she writes. “Patience and strength are required now. But above all, the love of family. We are all here for you, as always. And we will see you rise stronger, we love you.”
Klopp was less poetic, describing the talented frontman’s injury as “a real slap in the face” in an interview with ECHO Dubai at the time.
“He’s not at his best [mentally], that’s clear,” Klopp said. “It was a big disappointment for all of us and for him too. To be honest, it was a nothing situation in training.
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“And he felt something, he didn’t feel it much the next day, but we wanted to be very careful. So we were like, ‘Come on, let’s take a look’ and then the message came, which was a real slap in the face, but that’s it.”
Since then, Diaz has kept a low profile as his teammates endured a largely torrid spell, particularly in January when Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota were also sidelined to leave Klopp’s forward options shaky.
The odd Instagram update aside, Diaz has been working away from the spotlight and is preparing for a return which is set to take place at Leeds United on Monday night.
“It was very difficult for us because as a team we want him, we want his skills,” Kostas Tsimikas said of Diaz. “He kept improving with his personality as he played. When I played with him because we play on the same [side of the pitch], he’s an amazing player and he always helped me. And I help him too.
“Obviously I’m really excited about this game, I hope he plays and is in good shape and can show us some of the magic he showed us before he got injured.”
He has returned to full-team training for the past two weeks and although Diaz has been technically ‘fit’ in the last three games, it’s understandable that Klopp has been in no rush to get him back in the heart of the game. ‘stock.
A first appearance in a 190 matchday squad for Liverpool will be the reward for the long hours he has worked for his return and with the Reds’ Champions League hopes all but over, expectations are growing, immediate performances could be lower.
Instead, Diaz will have the freedom to take his time to get back on his feet after such a long hiatus. With Klopp finally able to take full advantage of his attacking six-man department, the manager may need time to adjust and adapt before committing to a first choice for the front three. With Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez still relatively new to the Premier League and Jota himself having had a long layoff, it will take next season for opponents to feel the full damage of the firepower Klopp possesses, but on this there is no doubt possible. Diaz’s return is a huge boost.
With nine games left of a largely forgettable season for both club and player, the 26-year-old, now on the cusp of his comeback, just needs to concentrate on a personally strong finish before heading on to what will be a critical summer . for the circle.