Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is looking to “find other solutions” as the Premier League title challengers prepare to face Bayern Munich with a depleted defence. The Reds host Bayern in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie next Tuesday. Influential Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk is suspended for the Anfield game, with Croatia international Dejan Lovren struggling to recover in time to feature after not playing since January 7.

Cameroon defender Joel Matip will surely start, but will have an unconventional partner in either Fabinho or Jordan Henderson, according to the Liverpool Echo. Didn’t Georginio Wijnaldum play there quite successfully once? Lovren could possibly recover from his hamstring strain to play, but he “is not involved” in Liverpool’s preparations at a summer camp in Marbella. “I don’t want to rule it out but I cannot really plan with it,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.

“He is not here for good reasons, because he cannot be part of training. We are back on Friday. Then from Saturday on, Dejan is back at Melwood and we will see. But, of course, we have to prepare it differently. If Dejan gives a sign on Monday – ‘I feel brilliant’ – then we’d have to think anew. But in the moment we prepare the game and in this preparation Dejan is not involved. We have to find other solutions,” Klopp added.

The Liverpool boss has had to play some his squad members out of position this year, with Fabinho previously playing as a defender while James Milner had to slot in at right back after Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up an injury. Bayern Munich on their part got good news on the injury front as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer returned to full fitness a week before both teams meet in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.

The Germany goalkeeper has been out of action with a thumb injury but is available to face Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Friday. The reigning German league title holders lost 3-1 at Bayer Leverkusen in Neuer’s absence and needed extra time before going past Hertha Berlin in the DFB-Pokal, although they won 3-1 against Schalke in their last match. In Neuer’s injury absence, Sven Ulreich has been deputising as he did throughout the 32-year-old’s lengthy absence due to a foot injury last season.

But Bayern captain Neuer says he is ready and available for the trip to Augsburg, as well as the Anfield clash with Liverpool on Tuesday. “Yesterday went well. Today went well,” he told Bayern’s website. “I’ve joined in with everything [in training] and I’m ready. Even while I was out, I generally did everything apart from the goalkeeper-specific training. Now I’ve had two good sessions and came through both of them. Everything is working, I completed everything.”

The reigning German league title holders lost 3-1 at Bayer Leverkusen in Neuer’s absence and needed extra time before going past Hertha Berlin in the DFB-Pokal, although they won 3-1 against Schalke in their last match. In Neuer’s injury absence, Sven Ulreich has been deputising as he did throughout the 32-year-old’s lengthy absence due to a foot injury last season. But Bayern captain Neuer says he is ready and available for the trip to Augsburg, as well as the Anfield clash with Liverpool on Tuesday.