Jurgen Klopp: 'Adam Lallana is integral to Liverpool'

Liverpool manager Adam Lallana has talked up midfielder Adam Lallana's importance in the team following a long-term injury.

Lallana was ruled out before the season began with a hamstring issue, and returned only for the problem to worsen, with the England international now being eased back into the Reds' first-team fold.

Klopp, whose side face Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, admitted that the club made a mistake with their approach to Lallana's initial recovery.

"Adam, absolutely was an integral part of the team," the manager told reporters. "And even with the competition we have, for Adam it is still usually not a problem for him, because he is important to us.

"They are all desperate to play, to be honest. But he needed time. Life is to learn from your mistakes. We made this mistake – he looked fit [but wasn't].

"Maybe two little setbacks, not the biggest setbacks, but in and out, in and out, and that makes no sense. So now we have to build with him. He is coming close though. Of course he now has no rhythm, which is another thing. But we still need him, we will use him."

Liverpool have a 5-0 advantage in the last-16 tie after an impressive performance in Portugal.