Liverpool’s No.17 played his part in stemming a troubling start by Stoke City at Anfield earlier this week, when the home side fell behind to Jonathan Walters’ near-post header.
Once Klavan and co got to grips with the Potters’ tactics and nullified the threat of central target man Crouch, the Reds went on to secure an ultimately comfortable 4-1 win and return to second place in the Premier League.
With the festive schedule now in full swing, there is little time to recover before Manchester City arrive on Merseyside for a much-anticipated battle this weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s side – who trail Liverpool by a point – will be buoyed by Aguero’s availability after suspension, with Klavan set to partner Dejan Lovren at the back and in the task of keeping the Argentinian’s name off the scoresheet.