JORDAN HENDERSON looks destined to miss England’s bid for Euros glory.
Jurgen Klopp has revealed Henderson is nowhere near a return to Liverpool training — and could still be weeks away.
The Three Lions kick-off their summer campaign against Croatia in 44 days’ time.
Reds boss Klopp said: “There are a lot of steps to go after that before they can take part in football training.
“They are all quite a long way from that.”
Liverpool play their last game of the season on May 23 against Crystal Palace but Henderson appears to have little or no chance of being ready for the Eagles’ visit.
That is the day before England head coach Gareth Southgate is expected to name his squad for the finals.
Henderson, 30, recovering from groin surgery in February, has been running along with other long-term casualties Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
But Klopp said: “Nobody has told me ‘fasten your seat belt they will be team training next week’.
“When players start running during rehabilitation it is in straight lines only at first.”
The German is no more optimistic about his team’s chances of making next season’s Champions League.
They are four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who play struggling Fulham today.
And Klopp, who watched tomorrow’s opponents Manchester United in their 6-2 Europa League semi-final smashing of Roma, feels the short break between Thursday’s game should not affect their rivals.
He said: “They have had a lot of good results after playing Thursday.
“They are used to Thursday-Sunday, so they will be fine, I’m afraid.”
He is not so sure of his own attackers, having been gutted by a series of missed chances before Newcastle pinched an injury-time point in last week’s 1-1 draw.
Klopp moaned: “In our last three games we have made 36 chances and scored two goals.
“It’s a matter of confidence so we have not spent all week shouting at them and asking: ‘How could you miss that!’
“We have been working, talking, doing video sessions and for sure we will fight.
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“I wasn’t in a good mood after the Newcastle game and I needed time to understand things that happened.
“If we don’t make the Champions League then that’s definitely not good but we have worked to make sure the players have the right legs to go into this game.”
LIVERPOOL (likely): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Kabak, Robertson; Thiago, Wijnaldum, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
