Monday 23 January 2017 09:58, UK
Joel Matip stepped up his match fitness following the row over his eligibility by playing an hour for Liverpool's U23s on Sunday.
Matip was given the green light to play for the Reds again by FIFA on Friday after a dispute with the Cameroon Football Federation was finally resolved.
And though the defender made a fleeting first appearance since mid-December as a late substitute in Liverpool's 3-2 defeat to Swansea, he gained a valuable hour's playing time with the club's youngsters in a 3-0 Premier League Cup win over Ipswich.
Matip reacted to divert early danger at Prenton Park but Liverpool soon took control of the game, Paulo Alves firing them ahead in the 20th minute, before the impressive Rhian Brewster struck a second just nine minutes later.
Alberto Moreno - who was also handed 60 minutes' action with the development side, struck the side-netting (50) as the Reds pressed for a third and Sheyi Ojo drilled narrowly past the post with 15 minutes left.
But Ben Woodburn finally added the third goal his team-mates' dominance deserved, coolly slotting into the bottom corner with eight minutes to go.
Matip's involvement will have pleased first-team boss Jurgen Klopp, who admitted FIFA's decision had come too late for him to consider starting the centre-back from the off against Swansea on Saturday.
"It's good news that we now have a positive decision, [it was] the decision we expected actually," Klopp said before the Anfield loss. "But the problem was we have training and I have to prepare a team.
"Between the two games [against Plymouth and Swansea] we had two sessions to prepare for this game properly and he was not involved because I couldn't expect that I can use him.
"We could take him to the hotel, he's in the squad so it's all good. But from a football perspective, it was too late."
