Jurgen Klopp will be hoping Liverpool can return to winning ways against Leeds United this evening following a run of five matches without a win since their incredible 7-0 drubbing of Manchester United at the start of March.

To say it has been a transitional season for the Reds would be putting it politely, with Klopp’s men so far off the pace in the Premier League they may not even secure European football next season.

A 2-2 draw against Arsenal last time out was a solid enough result, although the German could switch things up slightly as the Anfield side make the short trip to Elland Road and three points would cut the gap to six points to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Curtis Jones didn’t have the best of matches against the Gunners, ranking as statistically the second-worst performer for the club behind Virgil van Dijk with a Sofascore rating of 6.2/10.

He lost possession 13 times during his 60-minute spell on the pitch while winning just three duels and completing only 26 passes, and it’s clear that Klopp needs to replace him ahead of tonight’s tie.

With the news that Thiago is fit and ready, this should be enough for the 55-year-old to ditch Jones and slot the Spaniard into the heart of the Liverpool midfield for the first time since February.

Will Thiago start for Liverpool against Leeds United?

The 31-year-old made an appearance from the substitutes bench against Arsenal, his first league outing since being ruled out two months ago, and it’s evident that Klopp needs to unleash him from the first whistle tonight.

He has only played 15 times in the Premier League this term, yet he is currently the second-best performer in the squad, as per Sofascore's rating system, proving just how important he is when he starts.

The former Barcelona midfielder will be crucial in terms of Liverpool keeping the ball against Leeds. He has averaged 80.9 touches per game this season and has a pass success rate of 86% while making 1.1 key passes per game, suggesting he can also create chances for his teammates too.

Thiago has been lauded as “world-class” by former footballer George Chomakov and this is certainly justified by his statistics across Europe’s big five leagues where he ranks in the top 10% for pass completion rate, progressive passes, tackles and interceptions compared to positional peers.

If Klopp wants to add some extra dynamism and bite into the Liverpool midfield, Thiago should be the first name on the team sheet, helping to the club to three points this evening.