Local journalist: £25m starter "not part of Liverpool's open training" ahead of Benfica clash

Thiago Alcantara was not in training on Tuesday as Liverpool prepare to face Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

According to Paul Gorst, the Reds held an open training session on Tuesday and the former Bayern Munich midfielder, who moved to Anfield for £25million, didn't take part in the session.

No suggestion has been provided by the club but there could be a number of reasons for his absenteeism.

The first is that on Monday, Thiago turned 31 and so may have asked for Tuesday off but given how important this period of the season is and how little football he has played, it doesn't seem likely.

What does seem much likelier, given that Thiago wasn't in training on Monday either, is that Liverpool are giving him time to recover from the intensity of the Manchester City clash on Sunday.

The former Bayern star is one of the most important players in Liverpool's team and so Klopp really cannot afford to let him get injured.

Giving him time to recover before the FA Cup semifinal on Saturday would allow him to come back into the side with a reduced risk of muscular injury and increase Liverpool's chances of booking their place in the final.

Of course, the third possible reason for his absence in training is that he really is training which would be a disaster at this point of the season.

The balance and control he brings to the midfield are so valuable to Liverpool's style of play that it would cast doubt over the Reds' ability to win another trophy this term - let alone three more.

Hopefully, the 31-year-old is simply spending time at home resting with his family and enjoying his birthday week in peace before returning to training tomorrow to prepare for the big game on the weekend.