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Liverpool were on the verge of a defensive crisis not too long ago, but Jurgen Klopp has delivered a stunning update on Friday that will have fans buzzing for the weekend.

So what's the word?

With Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren all out injured, the decision to loan Nathaniel Clyne out to Bournemouth was met with a lot of criticism.

It meant that Liverpool were ill-prepared if Alexander-Arnold picked up an injury, which is exactly what happened as the young Scouser played ninety minutes against Brighton on an injured knee.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below...

Reports in the week suggested that injury would keep the 20 year-old out for an entire month, but Klopp arrived for his pre-Crystal Palace press conference on Friday with some staggering news.

“(He) will be close for tomorrow”, said Klopp when asked about the youngster’s fitness, plunging fantasy football managers into chaos.

A crucial boost in the title race?

Liverpool have some very winnable fixtures coming up, and Alexander-Arnold’s importance in these games cannot be understated.

The youngster often loses his place to a more defensive-minded player when the Reds take on the big six, and one of James Milner of Fabinho will probably take over the helm if he indeed misses more time, which would be fine in a back-and-forth contest against another big club.

Neither of these players have the attacking output of the youngster though, and his fantastic array of passing, his link-up with Mohamed Salah and his sumptuous crossing are all key to breaking down teams like Palace.

The Eagles may not threaten the Reds’ back four much, and the same may be said when Leicester visit Anfield ten days later, but the right-back’s return is still a huge boost for Klopp, and could even be the deciding factor in carving out that one crucial opportunity against a deep-lying side.

So, Liverpool fans, how happy are you to have Alexander-Arnold back? Should he start straight away against Palace? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…