Liverpool's season of struggle has come to a welcomed pause due to the international break and Jurgen Klopp will be assessing which players he will have at his disposal when the side return to action in the Premier League against Manchester City next month.

The Reds are currently seven points shy of a Champions League qualifying spot ahead of their remaining 12 top-flight fixtures and with a trophy out of sight, the manager can now fully focus on closing the gap with Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.

The Merseyside club has tallied up the worst injury record in the entire Premier League this season so far which has been a huge contributor to the inconsistent selection and performances on the pitch, however, this could be about to change just in time.

Explosive winger Luis Diaz is expected to be available for the highly-anticipated Etihad meeting on April 1st alongside Joe Gomez and Thiago Alcantara, which is a massive boost for Klopp going into the business end of the season with top four looking hard to grasp at present.

Indeed, the squad suffered a huge blow when midfielder Stefan Bajcetic was ruled out of the season recently, however, the return of Thiago could be the saving grace Klopp desperately needs in the centre of the pitch.

Should Thiago start for Liverpool?

There is no doubt that Thiago has become a firm fan favourite since making the move from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020 and has proven on many occasions exactly why he is a valuable asset to the Liverpool manager and team.

The 31-year-old midfielder – hailed "world-class" by former footballer George Chomakov – ranks in the top 9% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for passes attempted, pass completion, progressive passes, tackles and interceptions, proving that he remains one of the best deep-lying players on the continent.

Over 14 Premier League appearances, Thiago has demonstrated his class through a pass completion rate of 86%, proving he is one of the best conductors in the squad.

A midfielder who oozes class on the ball, the Spaniard has successfully completed 83% of his dribble attempts, as well as averaging 1.2 key passes.

His German coach has never been short of praise for the player and his impact when fit, stating:

"I knew that when he arrived here, of course. He was unlucky with injuries and stuff like this at the start, but when he is fit he can give the game a real rhythm."

"He’s got an eye for that, he calms the game down in the right moments, he has a sensational overview of the game."

With that being said, in Liverpool's desperation to take control of games, the return of the £200k-per-week asset could not be more warmly welcomed by everyone.

Indeed, his presence on the pitch over the remaining fixtures could ensure that Klopp's charges end the season with a bang.