Jürgen Klopp had to do without the services of eight front-line players and until yesterday it was beginning to look as if that number would rise to nine ahead of Friday’s game in Augsburg. Happily, though, it seems as if the injury flood waters are finally abating.

If everything goes to plan, really everything, then Sven Bender (he missed the friendly in Mannheim on Tuesday and was thus a doubt) and Adrian Ramos will be able to take up a place in the 18-man squad for Friday. Speaking ahead of the 1800 training session, Jürgen Klopp said, “I have just received the news that both are okay to join this session, both of them have done some work this morning to test the waters and it looks like they will be able to join in this evening. As for whether they will be available for selection on Friday, well it’s too early to say.”

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Klopp went on to discuss other players; of Hummels he said, “He is feeling fine but will continue to work individually and thus isn’t an option for Augsburg. Jakub Blaszczykowski “is on the way back but is still some way away from taking part in a game” whilst Ilkay Gündogan “is making huge strides.” Nuri Sahin, meanwhile, is “still in rehab’ and still some way off joining squad training,” and Marcel Schmelzer “is running but isn’t due to joiun training today.” The left back is not scheduled to be back until after the ‘international break’ while the others still out are Dong-Won Ji and Oliver Kirch completing a not so magnificent (in these circumstances!) seven.