Liverpool duo Joel Matip and Marko Grujic return ahead of double-header against Barcelona and Mainz

Jurgen Klopp has provided an update on the injury difficulties currently affecting his Liverpool squad ahead of their final weekend of pre-season fixtures. The Reds, who ended their three-match tour of the United States with a 2-1 defeat to Roma in St Louis earlier this week, return to the United Kingdom to face Barcelona at Wembley on Saturday (6 August) before travelling to Germany for a friendly against Mainz 05 less than 24 hours later.

Defensive recruit Joel Matip is set to appear three weeks after limping out of a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in July with an ankle problem, while budding Serbian midfielder Marko Grujic has also been cleared to compete after being taken to hospital for a CT scan on a suspected concussion. He suffered the setback during an accidental clash of heads with Bertrand Traore in a feisty International Champions Cup loss to Chelsea in Pasadena.

"Both are involved again," Klopp was quoted as saying by Liverpool's official website at a press conference held on Friday (5 August). "With Marko we had to wait until the doc gave us the green light and said 'go for it' because of the kind of injury.

"It was not too serious, but we all more or less use our brain and he needs his for football. He has been back since yesterday and is available. Joel has trained for three days so he will be involved too. Lucas is still not available and Joe [Gomez]. "

Gomez is out due to achilles tendinopathy that has sadly prolonged his recovery from a ruptured cruciate ligament injury that came just seven games after his £3.5m ($4.5m) switch from Charlton Athletic in June 2015. Versatile midfielder Lucas Leiva, who has been subject to sustained interest from Galatasaray with his contract set to expire next summer, is sidelined with a hamstring strain picked up during July's comfortable win over Huddersfield Town.

Elsewhere for Liverpool, Mamadou Sakho has been working hard at Melwood to nurse his own latest achilles problem after being sent home from the United States for poor timekeeping. New goalkeeper Loris Karius has undergone surgery on a broken hand that is expected to keep him out for at least two months, while Divock Origi missed the match against Roma due to a tight groin while Alberto Moreno was taken off with a dead leg in his hamstring. Mario Balotelli continues to play no part in pre-season after Klopp made it clear that he had no future at the club.