Klopp sure of Gomez’s quality ahead of Liverpool return

Joe Gomez’s injury hell at Liverpool is finally coming to an end and manager Jurgen Klopp is still completely convinced of the youngster’s quality.

Gomez hasn’t featured for Liverpool since October 2015, when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while with the England Under-21s and then battled an Achilles problem.

But the 19-year-old defender has played a handful of Under-23s games for the Reds over the past two months and could make his first-team return in the FA Cup clash with Plymouth on Sunday.

Gomez came through the ranks at Charlton Athletic and made the switch from the Valley to Anfield for a fee of £3.5million in the summer of 2015.

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Brendan Rodgers was Liverpool manager at the time but Klopp remembers seeing the teenager’s original cruciate injury.

“It was really unlucky, I still can remember the situation when he had the injury,” said Klopp. “I saw it in the Under-21 game, I watched it on television and thought ‘Oh my God!’. Really unlucky.

“Everybody was sure about his quality, everybody is sure about his quality.

“He’s a very, very young boy and we took him for a reason – OK, before I was here, but it was a good reason.

“So yes, we try to create somehow space that he can develop and perform when possible.”

Gomez’s injuries mean he is yet to play a game under Klopp but the German boss says he has a good relationship with the versatile defender.

“We had actually a lot of contact,” added Klopp. “That’s how it is with injured players, a lot of time of the day [they are] here because they have treatment, different kinds of therapy, training, whatever.

“So for a player who’s nearly never played for me, we have a good relationship I would say. I spoke to him [more] than maybe other players.

“We met always because I’m here a little bit longer than the players obviously. We met at lunchtime, we had dinner a lot of times together so yes, it’s good.”