Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip - Liverpool injury news and return dates for Aston Villa

Liverpool are gearing up for their meeting with Aston Villa on Monday evening as Jurgen Klopp's farewell tour continues.

The Reds have been battling with injuries for the entirety of the season, though recently welcomed back Conor Bradley and Stefan Bajcetic from their respective setbacks for the win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Bajcetic had been sidelined for a number of months and will now be hopeful of earning minutes in Liverpool's final two fixtures of 2023/24, ahead of kicking on next campaign.

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Jurgen Klopp's side are not understood to have any fresh concerns over their squad before Monday's match, though Andy Robertson was not spotted in the latest set of training pictures at the AXA Training Centre.

The Scot was, however, seen in training wear at the club’s base on Friday morning, conducting media duties, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold, as the ECHO attended Klopp’s pre-match press conference.

Below is a round-up of the expected return dates of those currently out injured as Liverpool await their services.

Diogo Jota

Injury: Hip.

The Portuguese forward made his long-awaited comeback in the Reds' 3-1 win at Fulham on April 21, though has not featured since after sustaining a fresh injury blow on the back of this fixture.

Liverpool had been without Jota for two months prior to facing Fulham, having seen the former Wolves star stretched off in a 4-1 victory at Brentford on February 17.

His ruthless nature in the final third has been dearly missed in recent weeks.

Potential return date: Wolves (H) - May 19.

Joel Matip

Injury: ACL.

Joel Matip has been recovering from an ACL injury he sustained in early December, which required the defender to undergo surgery.

Matip has been stepping up his recovery in recent weeks, but will not represent the Reds again this campaign.

"He [Matip] is running," Klopp said on April 3. "Yes, he hates that but since he got injured, this is the best moment as it was very painful at the beginning, very painful for him, but he got through that. Now he is pain-free but it all takes time. The season isn't long enough [for him to return]."

Potential return date: Unknown.

Thiago Alcantara

Injury: Thigh.

Thiago Alcantara has played just five minutes of football for Liverpool this season. He suffered a hamstring injury after his brief cameo against Arsenal on February 4 and has not been seen since.

Klopp was cautious with his comments at the end of February when asked if the Spaniard would be seen again ahead of his contract expiring this summer, telling reporters: "I don’t know, to be honest.

“It’s a couple of things but what he has to do now from a medical point of view and I don't know if it will mean again if he can play again. It's not a short-term thing and that's why I'm not 100% in it. I'm not sure if it's the same but the region is the same.”

Potential return date: Unknown.

Ben Doak

Injury: Knee.

Ben Doak has been recovering from a knee injury he sustained during an appearance for Liverpool's Under-21s back in December.

The 18-year-old has yet to make a return to training, and no timeframe has been given for when the Reds expect Doak to be available once again.

Discussing the condition of the Scot in December, assistant manager Pep Lijnders said: "That's not a good one. He teared his lateral meniscus, which needs surgery. That one will take [a] longer time. He is young, he is a fit guy, he is a positive guy so for sure he will come back stronger, and we need him to come back with the same fire he has with the ball, how he was. He can take time and we will wait for him."

Potential return date: Unknown.