Liverpool are on the cusp of welcoming several key players back from injury, although one potential concern has arisen ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Atalanta.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, there was no sign of Wataru Endo in training on Tuesday, which may be related to him being substituted midway through the second half of the 2-2 draw at Manchester United last weekend.

That absence also comes just six days after he missed the home win over Sheffield United with a knock, with that problem perhaps recurring in the meantime.

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Considering how reliable Endo has been at the base of Liverpool’s midfield, and the effect that it’s had on Alexis Mac Allister by freeing him up to weave his magic in a more advanced position, Jurgen Klopp certainly won’t want to be without the Japanese enforcer tomorrow night.

It’d be far from ideal if the 31-year-old were to miss a second match in the space of a week due to injury, especially at a time of the season where the fixtures come thick and fast, and with so much riding on each one.

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The hope is that his absence from Kirkby yesterday may simply have been precautionary, and that we might see him involved in the pre-Atalanta session later today. The manager might also offer a more informed update during his press conference this afternoon.

Even with Curtis Jones having now returned to supplement Liverpool’s midfield options, and Stefan Bajcetic back in team training, it’d be a bitter blow to see Endo ruled out for even a short period of time, given how important he’s become to the Reds. Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious.

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James Pearce has shared some welcome news on the injury front for Liverpool ahead of the showdown against Manchester United on Sunday.

The Reds overcame Sheffield United on Thursday night without Wataru Endo, who picked up a knock in last weekend’s win over Brighton and duly missed the subsequent fixture at Anfield.

However, writing for The Athletic today, the reliable LFC correspondent reported that the Japanese midfielder is now ‘expected to return’ for the trip to Old Trafford in two days’ time.

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As Pearce hinted in the same article, Endo’s projected return for the Manchester United game will most likely see him come back in for Ryan Gravenberch, who didn’t play anywhere near his best against the Blades last night.

The Japan captain has been excellent value for his £16m transfer fee during his first season at Liverpool, offering a tireless and commanding presence at the base of midfield, in the process freeing up Alexis Mac Allister to play further forward.

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That has duly unlocked the Argentine’s outrageous potential, as evidenced by a consistent streak of goal contributions in recent weeks, including that show-stopping strike against Sheffield United on Thursday.

The Reds have seven more fixtures coming up between now and 27 April, starting with the biggest of grudge matches away at Old Trafford this weekend, so Klopp will be desperate to have the strongest squad possible for that relentless run.

It’ll delight every Liverpool supporter to see Endo’s name on the team sheet on Sunday, should he be fit enough to come back into the line-up.

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Liverpool fans had thought that our injury woes were behind us but Jurgen Klopp has added to the concern with a fresh problem.

Speaking with the press, our manager said: “Wataru, what a player, what a guy. He got a knock in the last game, so we have to see for tomorrow what we can do with him.”

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It would be a massive shame if the captain of Japan was to spend some time on the sidelines, especially after a string of highly impressive performances.

Wataru Endo would be a big miss and let’s hope this ‘knock’ isn’t anything too serious.

You can view Klopp’s update on Endo (from 14:47) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Liverpool’s main objective last summer was to build a new midfield and we watched all three new players shine against Brighton, leading to a beautiful moment.

We’ve been waiting all season to see Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo in full force and on the same pitch together – it was worth the wait.

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Following Mo Salah’s winning goal against the Seagulls, all eyes were on our Egyptian King but the trio from midfield had time to celebrate together.

It shows the unity that is already present between all the players and it’s only likely to grow stronger as we approach the end of a memorable campaign.

You can watch Liverpool’s midfield celebrate together (from 12:41) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Wataru Endo is returning to Liverpool earlier than expected during the international break, but thankfully it isn’t anything injury-related.

The 31-year-old was due to play two fixtures for Japan this week, a 2026 World Cup qualifying double header against North Korea, although the second of those matches has been postponed in a bizarre turn of events.

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A statement from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) read that the fixture, which the Koreans were due to host next Tuesday, ‘will not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances’.

That decision, which was ‘taken in consultation with FIFA and relevant stakeholders’, ‘comes after the AFC was informed on March 20 by the DPR Korea Football Association of the need to move the match to a neutral venue due to unavoidable circumstances’.

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The ambiguous wording behind the postponement leaves us scratching our head as to the exact reason for it being called off, but the curious development has worked out well for Liverpool, as it means Endo will be back on Merseyside with a full week to prepare for Brighton’s visit to Anfield next weekend.

The midfielder came on as a 58th-minute substitute in Japan’s 1-0 win over North Korea in Tokyo on Thursday (Sofascore), meaning he had quite a sizeable distance to travel for little more than half an hour of football.

Nonetheless, having him back earlier than anticipated provides an unexpected yet welcome boost for Jurgen Klopp ahead of a relentless and pivotal run-in to the Reds’ season, with two trophies still on the line.

The flip side is that the postponed World Cup qualifier may need to be played at a later date, although hopefully that’ll be in the summer when Endo’s club commitments are out of the way until the commencement of pre-season in July.

For now, we’re just glad to have him back early, even if it’s due to bizarre circumstances.

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Liverpool fans at Old Trafford on Sunday unleashed a catchy new chant serenading Wataru Endo.

Last week, footage from The Ragamuffins – who are responsible for the legendary ‘Si Senor‘ ditty in honour of Bobby Firmino – went viral featuring Reds supporters singing along to the tune of ABBA’s ‘Voulez Vous’ with modified lyrics to toast the Japanese midfielder.

The chant was duly heard from the away end in Manchester during our 4-3 defeat to Erik ten Hag’s United in the FA Cup.

The more we hear it, the more we absolutely love it, and it surely won’t be long until it becomes an Anfield favourite to go along with the thumping songs for Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah, Diogo Jota and others!

You can check out the Endo chant below, via @asim_lfc on X:

Wataaaaruuuuuu Endō #LFC pic.twitter.com/YBDTYPaooo

— Asim (@asim_lfc) March 19, 2024

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Jurgen Klopp admitted that he was left with a ‘problem’ after Liverpool were taken to extra time in their FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.

The Reds held a 2-1 lead going into the 87th minute before Antony’s equaliser prompted an extra half-hour, during which the visitors restored their advantage but ended up on the wrong side of a 4-3 scoreline.

Speaking to the media after the match (via liverpoolfc.com), the German named three players that he ‘could have’ substituted due to fatigue, only for the see-saw nature of how the game transpired to scupper his plans.

Klopp said: “The problem is we didn’t even know who to take off. For a while it was alright, in 90 minutes everything would have been fine. But then with extra-time, it was like options were now not [there].

“We can talk now we bring the kids – we all said that all the time, you have to bring them in the right moment. They are fantastic but it was not the right moment.

“You just saw, we could have [taken off] Macca definitely, Wataru [Endo] definitely, Darwin [Nunez] definitely, Lucho [Diaz] we did then, Joey [Gomez]. They play all the time the boys and today, this extra time.”

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Gomez and Diaz were withdrawn in extra time, but Mac Allister, Endo and Nunez all remained on the pitch for the full 120+ minutes.

Yesterday’s match was the last one of nine in a frantic 31-day period for Liverpool, who’ve also had to negotiate numerous injuries to key players, so it was quite understandable that some of the Reds were running on fumes during the additional half-hour at Old Trafford.

Of the 870 minutes of football we’ve played (not including stoppage time) since the 4-1 win at Brentford a month ago, the Japan captain was on the pitch for 765 and the Argentina midfielder for 652 (Transfermarkt).

Nunez played a meagre 247 by comparison, but discounting the matches for which he was unavailable through injury, that tally is out of a maximum of 570 (Transfermarkt), and Klopp would’ve been trying to manage the 24-year-old’s minutes given that he’s only recently returned to action.

The usually razor-sharp Uruguayan endured a costly lapse in concentration towards the end of extra time when giving away the ball dangerously close to goal, with his mistake culminating in Marcus Rashford making it 3-3 and turning the game in United’s favour.

In the end, yesterday was just one match too far for a group of players who’ve gone to the well so frequently for Liverpool during a hectic season, but hopefully everyone will come back from international duty refreshed and ready to tackle the final seven weeks of a campaign which could still come to a glorious crescendo.

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Wataru Endo has excellent taste when it comes to footballers he admires across the globe.

When asked to name his ‘perfect player’, the Japanese international, now plying his trade with Liverpool, named three of his current teammates.

Kylian Mbappe and Luka Modric completed the set for ‘speed’ and ‘football IQ’ respectively. It’s a shame the former Stuttgart skipper hasn’t been treated to a full year with Thiago Alcantara fit and firing, otherwise the Spaniard might have been able to make it four for five in this quickfire round!

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of GOAL (via @WataruSanFan):

Wataru Endo’s perfect player: pic.twitter.com/q4OgtQWlgu

— Wataru San (@WataruSanFan) March 16, 2024

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Wataru Endo’s move to the Premier League is sure to have raised brows this summer.

The Merseysiders had been in line to secure one of two highly-rated talents in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

Jurgen Klopp’s men sadly missed out on both but gained a hugely impressive alternative signing in the Japan captain.

“Wataru Endo is a player I’ve been really impressed by, what a signing he’s been!” Paul Merson wrote for Sportskeeda. “Very rarely does Klopp get it wrong with transfers, I can’t recall looking at one of their signings over the years and saying ‘damn, he was a major waste of money’, which is a huge compliment to everyone who works behind the scenes.”

The former Stuttgart midfielder signed for the Reds for £16.2m in a deal keeping him at Anfield until 2027.

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Signing of the season?

Cole Palmer and Chelsea fans might have something to say about that!

Nonetheless, it can’t be denied that our 31-year-old, gumshield-wearing midfield enforcer is up amongst the top summer signings.

Whilst we’ll always wonder what might have been with a younger player in Caicedo or Lavia, it very much seems that Klopp and our recruitment team chose correctly in Endo.

What a gift he’ll be to the next man to take up the Anfield helm for the foreseeable future.

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Liverpool fans were probably confused when we were linked with signing Wataru Endo this summer but he’s more than proven why Jurgen Klopp wanted the midfielder at Anfield.

Speaking with the Premier League, our No.3 said: “I never thought I’d play for a team like Liverpool. It was nothing concrete, just a simple dream.”

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The captain of Japan has been a remarkably consistent presence in our side this season and seems to settle in to our side more and more with each passing game.

The 31-year-old has been a revelation in recent months and we’re lucky to have him in our side.

You can watch Endo’s comments via @premierleague on X:

"I never thought I'd play for a team like Liverpool"

Wataru Endo's dream of playing in the Premier League has become a reality. Greatness comes from everywhere.#NoRoomForRacism pic.twitter.com/laghGdKcx0

— Premier League (@premierleague) March 15, 2024

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Liverpool fans had plenty more than just the six goals to enjoy as they cruised past Sparta Prague 6-1 to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

Wataru Endo wasn’t among the five Reds to get on the scoresheet but he treated Anfield to a box-office moment during the first half tonight.

Racing onto a loose ball near the centre circle, the Japanese midfielder played an exquisite first-time through ball to Mo Salah, who had ghosted in behind the visitors’ defence.

It was one of 44 successful passes made by Liverpool’s number 3 out of 46 attempted on the night, a remarkable accuracy of 96% (Sofascore), and it was surely the pick of the bunch!

You can view Endo’s brilliant through ball below, via @1947production on X (formerly Twitter):

playmaker pic.twitter.com/ut6K8bhWbU

— 1947 (@1947production) March 14, 2024

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There’s no shortage of Liverpool players past and present who’ve had some brilliantly catchy songs in their name, and Wataru Endo can now be added to that list.

The 31-year-old has made a mockery of his £16m transfer fee from last August with a series of magnificent performances at the heart of the Reds’ midfield, and his fan favourite status has been further underlined by a belter of a chant.

The Ragamuffins – who’ve previously conjured up the legendary ‘Si Senor‘ in honour of Bobby Firmino and an underrated ditty for Dominik Szoboszlai – have knocked it out of the park again with their ABBA-inspired tune celebrating the Japan captain.

Sung to the tune of ‘Voulez Vous’, the lyrics go: ‘Wataru… Endo, he is Japanese; Endo, he wears number 3, Endo, and he’s gonna win the league!’

The chant is already going viral, having garnered some very positive reaction on social media, and rightly so – it is a banger!

You can check out the Endo chant below, via theragamuffins on TikTok:

@theragamuffins Just a gang of lunatics having a very lovely time thank you (sort of) to @ABBA and Waturu Endo at @wearehotelanfield yesterday. Waturu…. ENDO He is Japanese ENDO He wears number three And he’s gonna win the league! A great game of football between two brilliant sets of players yesterday, and managed to fit two gigs in, one with all of us on the stage up at Anfield alongside Buffalo Riot and @The Sway with the players coach driving right past us while we were onstage, then at Hotel Anfield before and after the game. This week I’ll be there again on Thursday night before and after the @Sparta Prague game but we’ve got the serious business of our next records, the first of which has just been mastered! Too Many Dancefloors!!!!! #endo #waturu #Japan #japanese #party #lfc #liverpool #lfcfamily #anfield ♬ original sound – The Ragamuffins

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Harry Redknapp has claimed one Liverpool player has been the ‘signing of the season’ and ‘shows that there’s still some bargains out there’.

Wataru Endo threw in a man of the match performance as the Reds drew 1-1 with Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday as he dominated the middle of the park against the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.

The Japan international, who was signed from Stuttgart in the summer for just £16m, is already a huge favourite amongst Kopites and Redknapp believes Liverpool’s scouts deserve credit for finding the dynamic midfielder.

“Endo might just be the signing of the season,” the former Premier League manager told Betvictor (via Liverpool World), as he published his ‘Team of the Week’.

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“I thought he was brilliant against Manchester City, this boy just never stops running! He looks like he’s been in this side for years. Every credit to the Liverpool scouts for finding this lad and taking a chance on him and every credit to him for making the most of it. It just shows that there’s still some bargains out there, you’ve just got to have an eye for a player.”

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who were signed alongside Endo in the summer window, have also hit the ground running on Merseyside but our No.3 has surprised so many supporters.

It’s fair to say that almost nobody had heard of the 31-year-old before he made the switch to Anfield but he’s now an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The intensity he provides on the pitch with his tough tackling and reading of the game is exceptional and it’s no coincidence that we’re still challenging on all fronts with him performing at his best.

Mac Allister can also be in with a shout for signing of the season but not many can argue with Redknapp’s comments!

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Micah Richards was highly impressed by two Liverpool players in particular during the 1-1 draw against his former club Manchester City on Sunday.

Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half penalty ensured that the spoils were shared at Anfield, although the Sky Sports pundit was awestruck by two others who he witnessed firsthand at the match, which he was covering as an analyst for the broadcaster.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the 35-year-old said: “Harvey Elliott, what a player he is! He works so hard for the team.

“When you are watching the game on TV, you don’t see like people’s positions and all that, and the cameras panning from one position to another, but when you are at the game, you see exactly how hard he works. He was composed in possession and he really worked hard for the team.

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“[Wataru] Endo in midfield, wow! When he came to Liverpool, I was thinking, ‘Okay, good experienced player’, but I didn’t think he could get to the levels of that in terms of the intensity of the game. 

“We know that the Bundesliga is back and forth, but I thought he was outstanding in the middle of the park yesterday. He really was.”

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The ever-dependable Endo did a marvellous job for Liverpool again yesterday, winning six duels and four tackles along with posting a 95% passing success rate (Sofascore). He did brilliantly to win one particular 50-50 against Kevin De Bruyne, who was substituted soon after.

Meanwhile, Elliott – who started as a right winger before Mo Salah was introduced off the bench – played one key pass, delivered two accurate crosses and won one tackle (Sofascore).

The 20-year-old has been a consistently reliable performer for the Reds this season and looks a far more mature and refined player compared to this time last year, and his development must surely have left Jurgen Klopp delighted.

It’s very rarely that Man City are outplayed in midfield, but Endo and latterly Elliott were valuable contributors towards Liverpool achieving that distinction on Sunday, and both could have a huge part to play in the run-in to a season which could still end gloriously for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

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Lucas Leiva singled out one Liverpool player for praise following the 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Sunday.

There were several standout performers on show from both sides in a pulsating clash which showed why these two teams are vying for the Premier League title, and the official Player of the Match award from LFC went to Wataru Endo.

The Brazilian seemed to agree with that selection, as he posted on X afterwards: “What a player you are @wataru0209, makes the team keep going and connecting all the time.”

What a player you are @wataru0209, makes the team keep going and connecting all the time . https://t.co/qSdS3uUPju

— Lucas Leiva (@LucasLeiva87) March 10, 2024

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Lucas is well placed to comment on Endo’s performances, having operated in a similar defensive midfield role for Liverpool for a decade between 2007 and 2017.

The 31-year-old was worthy of every bit of praise which has come his way, keeping the Reds ticking over with his tigerish performances in the engine room at Anfield and brilliantly besting Kevin De Bruyne at one point on Sunday.

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As per Sofascore, the Japan captain was his typical industrious self yesterday, winning four tackles, making two interceptions and coming out on top in six of his seven duels. He was also excellent in possession, completing 59 of his 62 passes (95% success rate) and executing one key pass.

Endo’s excellence in the number 6 role has also helped to unlock the full potential of Alexis Mac Allister in this Liverpool team, enabling him to play further forward and provide killer deliveries for the Reds’ forwards, such as his exquisite assist for Darwin Nunez’s stoppage time winner at Nottingham Forest.

It’s fantastic to see the ex-Stuttgart midfielder getting the credit that his tireless performances deserve, and if we are to win further silverware this season, he’ll have played a massive part in it.

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