Sadio Mane could hand Liverpool a real boost ahead of their clash with Chelsea.
The winger has been away at the Africa Cup of Nations with his side struggling in his absence.
Mane missed the decisive penalty as Senegal exited the competition on Saturday night after Liverpool had been beaten by Wolves in the FA Cup.
And the Reds are desperate to have him back for Tuesday night’s bout at Anfield and have chartered a private jet to do so, reports the Liverpool Echo.
He was scheduled to fly back to England today and will return to Melwood on Monday, where he will be assessed by Jurgen Klopp and his fitness staff.
Mane played 90 minutes in two of Senegal’s three group matches, sitting out the third before playing 120 minutes against Cameroon.
Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield on Tuesday night, with Mane in line to make an immediate return to the squad for the crunch Premier League clash.
It will likely be as a substitute, with Saturday’s trip to Hull more realistic in terms of a return to the starting XI.
In Mane’s absence, Liverpool have struggled badly, winning just one of their seven fixtures in all competitions.
Having crashed out of the EFL Cup against Southampton in midweek, they followed that up with a wretched FA Cup defeat at home to Wolves on Saturday, being booed off by some sections of the Anfield crowd.
Mane’s return will provide a timely boost, although how much his exploits in Gabon have taken out of him remains to be seen, both physically and mentally.
The former Southampton man has scored nine goals in 21 appearances for the Reds this season.
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