He returns earlier than expected, Luis Diaz's return date revealed

Striker Luis Díaz is aiming to return to Liverpool for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid in mid-March. It won't be long now. He feels it, he senses it. He is aiming for an important match to come back after almost six months of inactivity due to a knee injury with an operation in between. The Colombian is close to returning to the Reds.

He made the announcement in an interview with Sky Sports during a charity event in England. "Let's wait, let's wait a bit to see when I can get back on the pitch. If it's at the Bernabeu it will be. No worries," he said. That game will be on 15 March in the last-16 tie against the champions.

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Liverpool is going through a results crisis unseen in the Jurgen Klopp era. The team is missing his attacking energy. "The idea is to come back to help the team and all my team-mates. I want to come back and have a good second half of the season," added Diaz. His last game was on 10 October against Arsenal. He collided with an opponent and hurt his knee.

Klopp looks forward to derby

Klopp knows a Merseyside derby is different: "It always matters. Yes, it's a chance to improve, but it's also against Everton. It's a very important game for our situation, but also in general." Klopp is pleased with the responsibility his players are accepting: "Everything has gone in the right direction. The aggression is there, the determination, the willingness, the concentration, the focus and the intensity. It's been a really good week so far.