Lovren & Mignolet return for Liverpool

Dejan Lovren and Simon Mignolet are ready to return for Liverpool ahead of the Boxing Day encounter with Premier League leaders Leicester City, but James Milner remains sidelined.

The availability of the duo will ease Jurgen Klopp’s defensive concerns as Martin Skrtel is sidelined with a hamstring complaint picked up in the 3-0 defeat at Watford.

Lovren was not part of the matchday squad at Vicarage Road as he nursed a deep cut to his right knee, while Mignolet was also not involved due to a tight hamstring.

Milner sat out Sunday’s game too, owing to a calf injury, and he will continue receiving treatment over the festive period.

“Martin Skrtel is not too good. It’s a hamstring with a little bit of the tendon involved, so he needs time,” Klopp explained in his Christmas Eve press conference at Melwood.

“We don’t know how long because Martin is a tough guy and usually he recovers quickly, but we can’t put pressure on this so we have to wait. It’s a few weeks, for sure – it’s really bad for us.

“Dejan Lovren is back in training. He’s trained now for two days in a row completely normally with the team. He is available for Saturday. Simon is back and trained normally today and will train normally tomorrow.

“[Milner has] no chance. Millie has a calf injury and nobody knows where it came from, it was not in a game. Now we have to wait. One or two weeks, I don’t know exactly. That is not too good for us, either.”

Klopp also confirmed Jordan Rossiter has a hamstring setback, which was sustained in the Europa League encounter with FC Sion.