At a time when Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has become the most high-profile Premier League campaigner for player welfare, the club is about to undergo a major revamp of its medical department.

Two key members of Liverpool’s of the backroom team will leave Anfield in March, and further departures are possible in an end of season restructure.

Head of medical Andy Massey and first-team physiotherapist Richie Partridge are stepping down from their roles to take jobs with Fifa and the Qatar national team, respectively.

The arrival of new club doctor Gary O’Driscoll from Arsenal will be confirmed imminently, although as yet there is no start date.

More appointments will be made during the summer, with existing Liverpool staff stepping up in the interim.

Liverpool insist they are relaxed about the departures, which they recognise as attractive opportunities for the outgoing staff. Nevertheless, the timing is eye-catching given the Merseyside club is still fighting for the three trophies at home and in Europe and the most hectic of campaigns will be reaching its climax.

Liverpool are closing in on their first title in 30 years, and the medical staff have been an essential component of Klopp’s revitalisation in and around Anfield.

The club says it has enough staff cover to facilitate the departures, hence they did not seek to block the moves until the end of the current campaign.