Premier League: Klopp rules out return for Liverpool’s Henderson and Lallana ahead of West Brom trip

Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has ruled out the prospect of any involvement for the Reds’ midfield pair of Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana ahead of Sunday’s match against West Bromwich Albion at 13:30 BST (08:30 EST)

Klopp has been without his captain Henderson since February after the England international picked up a foot injury after the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Lallana has been sidelined with a hip complaint for the last month and is currently rehabilitating.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash at The Hawthorns, Klopp was upbeat on his skipper’s chances of returning to first-team action ahead of a crucial run-in for the Reds.

“[They are] better, but not good enough for the weekend.

“With Jordan, it was clear from the beginning that it’s not a fixed time until he is back. We have to wait until he feels absolutely nothing, that’s how it is. That’s what we are still waiting for.

“In all of what he is doing at the moment, he feels nothing, but we have to make steps still, steps to go [so] that he can be part of team training.

“For the Watford game again, with Jordan it could be next week in training, could be the week after, but I think we are in a good way with him also. Everything will be good and I am pretty sure he will have a few games in this season.”

However, Klopp was sure that Lallana will be available after the visit of Crystal Palace, with an important remaining four games for Liverpool to secure a UEFA Champions League place.

“With Adam, it is a little bit easier to say. I am pretty sure after the Crystal Palace game, he will probably be in normal training and that means then [for Watford] he is in the squad or we can think about him then.”

The former Borussia Dortmund manager also had his say on the dramatic events in Dortmund on Tuesday night, in which his former club’s team bus was attacked en route to their Champions League quarter-final against AS Monaco.

There were no serious injuries to anybody on-board, although defender Marc Bartra was taken to hospital with minor injuries on his arm. The match was postponed and replayed on Wednesday evening at 17:45 BST (12:45pm EST).

“First of all, I don’t think what I say is too important, but how everyone can probably imagine, it was a really difficult moment for me because I was I don’t know how often in the team hotel at Dortmund with my team.

“I know exactly the road, exactly the place where it is. A lot of my friends were in the bus.

“At first, I was on the way home from Melwood and I got a call telling me that something happened with the bus. I tried immediately to get some information, it was strange and I was really concerned and I was scared for them.

“Then how it was for everybody, in the first moment it looked like a little bit of relief or not too serious, then the more information you could get, the more serious it got and that was really difficult.”