"Our supporters know he is a fantastic player. He gives us the balance you need when we are attacking and he always does a good job," said the Liverpool boss.
"It's really important to have him back and also Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel. We have three players and maybe they will need a little bit of time to get sharp, but they have confidence and more experience. Mascherano was a key player for us last season and he can be the same this year."