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Liverpool youngster Joe Gomez returned to training last week – and is already a January loan target for both Bournemouth and Huddersfield.

The teenage defender, though, is focused only on getting back to full fitness and impressing Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

Gomez was given the green light to resume full training at Melwood earlier this month, having missed the last 12 months with first a cruciate knee injury and then an Achilles problem. The ECHO revealed he was given a spontaneous round of applause from Klopp and his teammates when taking to the field for his first sesssion.

Huddersfield are interested in signing the 19-year-old on loan in January, with Terriers boss David Wagner hoping his relationship with Klopp might help secure a favour for the Championship outfit.

Bournemouth, who were close to signing Gomez before his move to Anfield in 2015, are also monitoring the situation and would be willing to take him on a similar deal.

Liverpool, though, are wary of rushing Gomez back too quickly after such a long lay off and will continue to treat him with caution.

The plan is to ease him into competitive action with the U23 team, much as they have done with Danny Ings this season, with some success.

This weekend’s mini-derby with Everton may come too soon, but so far Gomez has shown no ill-effects from his return to training, and hopes to step up his recovery in the coming weeks.

Liverpool are not overly blessed with defensive cover at present, particularly at full-back, and Klopp is a long-standing admirer of the versatile, athletic Londoner. The idea of a loan move in January, after such a long lay-off, appears unlikely at this stage.