Klopp set for five significant Liverpool boosts after international break

As a man who is often vocal about the needs for rest in modern football, Jurgen Klopp is sure to welcome the Premier League breather that is now upon us.

Even though some of his players will still be in action.

Alisson Becker and Fabinho - fresh from crucial match-turning interventions at Crystal Palace on Sunday - will both head off with Brazil for World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, although Roberto Firmino has not been selected.

Takumi Minamino has World Cup qualifiers with Japan too, with matches against China and Saudi Arabia, and of course Liverpool's African stars are all still in action in the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon - although Naby Keita is suspended for Guinea's second-round match on Monday.

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Everybody else gets to put their feet up though, and Klopp is delighted with that.

"A big three points today for us, really big. Intense period again," said Klopp after the win at Selhurst Park.

"Now a little bit of a breather, which helps, at least for most of us, not for all of us - the Brazilians have to go, Taki has to go. But the rest can take a deep breath and then we start again."

And not only will they start again, they should be starting again in greater numbers.

The Reds resume with their FA Cup fourth match at home to Cardiff City on February 6, at which point they could have five key players back in the fold.

AFCON finishes on that very same Sunday, and so at least one of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane or Keita will be back on Merseyside by then. Potentially two, possibly three.

It might not be quite right for them to go straight into the team to face the Championship side, but they will surely be back with the group to limber up for February 10's Premier League visit of Leicester.

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Liverpool managed to progress in the FA and League Cups and record two Premier League wins without their African stars, but Klopp still admits they've missed them.

"We did it without them, but that made it so intense," he said on Sunday.

"You have to create, if you want, kind of a new football because if you don't have that maximum speed on the wing, which obviously Sadio and Mo have, if you don't have that all of a sudden you have to change how you get there in these areas. And the boys did really well."

And as well as Keita, there will be other additions in midfield too.

Assistant boss Pep Lijnders dispelled fears over a serious injury suffered by Thiago when he faced the media last week, confirming that the Spaniard will be back in training ahead of Cardiff.

Meanwhile Harvey Elliott, after being pictured in training last week, got fans talking on Instagram on Monday when he posted a picture of himself in action and told fans he would see them soon.

The teenager was flying and in terrific form before his dislocated ankle at Leeds in September, and he seems set for an imminent return to the fold.

With three cup competitions to play for and the Premier League leaders to chase down, Klopp's boosts could hardly be coming at a better time.