Jurgen Klopp has moved to strengthen Liverpool's backroom staff with the appointment of former Borussia Dortmund colleague Dr Andreas Schlumberger.
Schlumberger, who has joined from Bundesliga side Schalke, will augment the current staff in a new specialist position as head of recovery and performance.
The 54-year-old's role will sit between Andreas Kornmayer, the head of fitness and conditioning, and those of head of physio Lee Nobes and Dr Jim Moxon, the club doctor.
Schlumberger will support both sides of the fitness process in a position created to help injured players during the period where the medical and physio team have worked on their rehabilitation, but further attention is required before the player works with the performance team in preparation for being reintegrated with the first-team squad.
Klopp had wanted to bolster his backroom staff and, in Schlumberger, has recruited an expert used to the methods of the Reds boss having worked with him for three years at Dortmund. Schalke's ongoing financial problems meant they were open to the move.
Schlumberger had earlier worked with Nuremburg and the German national youth teams, and later moved to Bayern Munich and then Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Liverpool are mindful of the fact the coming seasons are likely to be affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and a mid-season World Cup in Qatar, and believe the expertise of Schlumberger in a newly-created position can strengthen their efforts to make players available.
The Reds have this season already felt the effects of a condensed campaign with a series of injuries that have hampered their attempt to retain the Premier League title.
Schlumberger's appointment is the latest in a raft of changes behind the scenes at Liverpool in recent months, with Chris Morgan having returned to the club as first-team physiotherapist in August.
And last week, loan and pathways manager Julian Ward was promoted to the role of assistant to sporting director Michael Edwards.
