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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Mark Wakefield

Arsene Wenger's conversation with Liverpool midfielder and other things spotted in training

Liverpool have made the perfect start to their Premier League campaign with two wins in their opening two matches.

The Reds ran out 2-0 winners over Burnley at the weekend to follow on from their comfortable victory over Norwich City on the opening day.

Jurgen Klopp and his squad are now busy preparing to face Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday, who also won their opening two league fixtures.

The players and staff have been hard at work in training getting ready to face Chelsea, and here is what we spotted that may be of interest.

READ MORE: 'If Harry Kane goes there' - Jamie Carragher makes Liverpool and Man City title prediction

Wenger in attendance

Liverpool had a visitor to the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday as former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger paid a visit.

Wenger, who now works for FIFA as their chief of global football development, was there to hand out awards to Klopp and several Liverpool players.

Klopp was given FIFA’s Best Coach award for 2020, while Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara were handed awards as part of the 2020 world’s best 11 players.

Wenger was pictured talking to Klopp and several members of the Liverpool squad, including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who he managed during the pair’s time at Arsenal.

Robertson ready to start

Liverpool were handed a welcome injury boost last week when Andy Robertson was pictured returning to training earlier than previously thought.

He suffered an ankle ligament injury, but recovered quickly to feature on the substitute's bench against Burnley.

Now, fresh after signing a contract extension which keeps him at Anfield until 2026, Robertson is in full training and in line to start against Chelsea this weekend.

Were he to start, it would see Kostas Tsimikas drop out of the team after the left-back impressed in the stead of the Scotland international during the opening two weeks of the season.

Phillips and Origi training

Liverpool recently sold one fringe player, with Xherdan Shaqiri’s departure for Lyon being confirmed on Monday night.

There are still several other players whose futures may or may not be on Merseyside after next week’s deadline.

Divock Origi and Nat Phillips were both left out of the squad to face Burnley at the weekend, but were both pictured taking part in training on Tuesday.

Whether the pair will return to the squad on Saturday remains unclear, and it is also not known whether or not they will still be a Liverpool player this time next week.

As things stand, though, given they are in training a move away does not appear to be close to happening any time soon.

Ox and Fabinho back

Liverpool may have two more players back available for selection when they take on Chelsea this weekend.

Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both missed the win over Burnley due to their respective personal reasons.

The pair were pictured back in training on Tuesday, and will be spending the rest of this week staking a claim to start against Chelsea at the weekend.

Oxlade-Chamberlain featured in the starting line-up against Norwich on the opening day, while Fabinho came off the bench after returning to pre-season later following his role with Brazil at this summer’s Copa America.

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