Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is hopeful that Darwin Nunez will be fit to return for Saturday's Premier League clash with Chelsea.
The Uruguay international missed a few days' worth of training with an unspecified issue prior to last weekend's trip to Brighton & Hove Albion, being forced to sit out that 3-0 loss as a result.
Nunez was also unavailable for Tuesday's 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Reds' FA Cup third-round replay, despite Klopp affirming that the attacker was "very close" to returning.
Speaking to the press after the Reds' victory at Molineux, Klopp was able to share a positive update on Nunez, who should be part of the squad for the visit of Graham Potter's side.
"I hope that Darwin is coming back in training tomorrow or Thursday, so he might be then in contention, of course," Klopp told reporters when questioned on team selection for the weekend.
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"So we have now a couple of days training and it is not now that we... I don't think it would now be right after one game and say, 'OK, that's the team now for the next eight weeks or whatever', these kind of things.
"Kosti [Kostas Tsimikas]got a knock in the back and stuff like this, so let's see how they recover and stuff like this. But, of course, we are not in a casting show but anyway we have now this game and then we have four days to train and then after that I think five or six days to train until the next game.
"Training is always like this – who shows up in training. I'm not blind but usually we don't train, we play every three days and then we recover, some do a little bit. And on top of that, in the past we won quite a lot of games, so why would you make drastic changes?
"But anyway, we rotate a lot because the players were available. But, of course, the door is open for everybody. We have to fight. Who is ready to fight has a good chance to play."
A stunning long-range effort from Harvey Elliott saw Liverpool progress to the fourth round on Tuesday, and the teenager was one of eight changes that the Reds made from the weekend's humbling at Brighton.
Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic overcame a knock to the hip to start in place of Fabinho, and the 18-year-old earned plenty of plaudits with his battling display in the middle of the park.
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Bajcetic, who was making just his third start for Liverpool, came up with three tackles and two interceptions on the night, and Klopp was also full of praise for the "very smart" teenager.
"Good, good for him. Good player, very smart in his movements. Especially the younger you are, the more important it is that you have a good start in the game," Klopp added.
"He had a few situations where I am not sure he saw there was space or he just hoped there was space when he turned – and there was actually space. He did really well, but what helps really is that he wins these challenges.
"The last few steps before he has to block the ball, that's really good. Having then Thiago next to him is, I think, pretty helpful – Thiago is talking a lot on the pitch – and Naby was really there tonight, which is obviously very helpful."
Liverpool face another trip to Brighton in the fourth round as they endeavour to defend their FA Cup title, and they welcome Chelsea to Anfield languishing in ninth in the Premier League table - only ahead of the Blues on goal difference with a game in hand.
Ben Knapton
