Liverpool could recall defender Nathaniel Phillips at the club in January.
Phillips joined Celtic in the summer transfer window from Liverpool on a short-term loan, as emergency cover for injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki & Stephen Welsh, and the Bhoys are not expected to extend his loan deal, as reported by Sky Sports journalist, Anthony Joseph.
The 26-year-old has made only four starts for Celtic and a further four appearances have come from the bench.
Recently, it has been reported that the Reds are not planning to trigger the option of keeping Phillips at Celtic for the second half of the season. As it stands, Phillips is likely to return to Anfield in January and Klopp could give him another chance to show his quality.
Liverpool are missing Joel Matip at the moment. The 32-year-old defender has picked up an ACL tear and he is unlikely to return to action this season. The Reds have Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and young Jarell Quansah as other options, but Klopp probably feels the need to have another back-up option.
Phillips made 20 appearances for Liverpool in 2020-21 when the squad was severely ravaged by injuries. Since then, he has struggled for regular games. Last season, he moved to AFC Bournemouth on loan, where he managed 18 games in all competitions.
Brendan Rodgers took him on a short-term loan this summer, but he hasn’t been able to make an impact. Rodgers isn’t too impressed with him, and the centre-back could return to Anfield as a result.
He has a contract at Anfield until 2025, but in all probability, he will drop down the pecking order if Liverpool sign one or two more defenders. If Liverpool decide to not delve into the market this January and stick with the available resources, Phillips could get an opportunity to impress Klopp at some point.
Liverpool will have the option to send him away on loan again to another club, but based on reports, it looks like Klopp wants to use him as a cover. This could be his chance to shine for the Reds.
