Jurgen Klopp eyes Aston Villa Premier League clash for return of 11-goal Liverpool star

Aston Villa face Liverpool at Anfield in their final away game of the Premier League season
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Jurgen Klopp expects to have Roberto Firmino back in training next week as Liverpool prepare to welcome Aston Villa to Anfield.

Villa take on the Reds on Saturday in their final away match of the season, before ending the campaign with a home clash against Brighton and Hove Albion.

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Firmino has been out since mid-April with a muscle injury that was originally branded as “not too serious”. He was initially expected back after Liverpool’s dramatic win over Tottenham Hotspur but has missed recent matches against Fulham and Brentford.

He is also due to be sidelined when Liverpool take on Leicester City on Monday evening. He is due to start training with the rest of team from next week, putting him in contention against Villa.

“I saw Bobby in training yesterday and it looks like pretty much [he is] nearly there, but I don’t think he will be in for the weekend,” said Klopp in his pre-Leicester press conference.

“If I go out of here and he will be in the session, I would be surprised. I assume that we start with him team training-wise after the Leicester game.”

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The fixture will be Firmino’s final game at Anfield with the Brazilian poised to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June.

Liverpool are unlikely to remain without Naby Keita against Villa, as Klopp said of his availability for Monday: “Naby, no.”

The Reds will be without Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Calvin Ramsay with the trio ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Thiago underwent surgery on a hip problem which ruled out him for the campaign while Ramsay had a knee operation in February.

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Bajcetic scored in the reverse fixture at Villa Park in a breakthrough year at the club but revealed in March: “Unfortunately I’ve picked up an injury that will keep me out until the end of the season.

"It’s very sad to say goodbye to this amazing season for me but I understand this is part of football and will only make me stronger physically and mentally.”

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