Liverpool star Mohamed Salah on track to make injury return against Manchester City

Liverpool look likely to be boosted by the return of Mohamed Salah for Sunday's (14 January) meeting with leaders Manchester City amid reports that their top scorer will be available for that heavyweight Premier League clash at Anfield as things stand.

Summer signing Salah, who has netted 23 times in just 29 appearances across all competitions since completing a £34m ($45.9m) switch from AS Roma in June, has not played for the Reds since sustaining a groin injury during a 2-1 comeback win over Leicester City in which he notched twice in the second half.

The Egyptian international - along with Barcelona-bound Philippe Coutinho - missed the last-gasp win at Burnley on New Year's Day and the subsequent FA Cup Merseyside derby defeat of Everton.

However, he was still able to travel to the Ghanaian capital of Accra last week where he beat teammate Sadio Mane and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in the race to be named the 2017 Confederation of African Football (Caf) Player of the Year.

Indeed, a lack of hard information over the severity of Salah's injury had cast doubt on his availability for the showdown with champions-elect City, but the Liverpool Echo now reports that he is winning his battle to be fit for the match.

The publication claims the former Chelsea forward was among the Liverpool contingent that departed for a four-day winter trip to Dubai after the Virgil van Dijk-inspired win over Everton and that he is expected to report for training at Melwood on Wednesday having responded well to treatment.

Salah's return would be an enormous and timely lift for Liverpool, who can obviously no longer call upon the services of Coutinho after the Brazilian schemer finally sealed his dream £142m transfer to Catalonia on Monday.

The Echo state that Alberto Moreno could also resume training this week following an ankle injury sustained against Spartak Moscow in early December that has kept him out of the last eight matches. Klopp revealed before that FA Cup win that the Spanish left-back and captain Jordan Henderson (hamstring) could become involved in "parts" of team training sessions.

Striker Daniel Sturridge is still nursing a muscle issue, while Nathaniel Clyne remains sidelined as he continues to recover from surgery on a long-term back injury. Adam Bogdan and Marko Grujic are also out.

Liverpool, currently fourth in the top-flight and 18 points adrift of City, were thrashed 5-0 in their first meeting with Pep Guardiola's rampant team in September, with respective braces from Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane compounding the dismissal of Mane for a high boot on goalkeeper Ederson. Salah was substituted at half-time of that rout and may feel he has a point to prove this weekend.