Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliott remains on track to return next month from a serious ankle injury.
The 18-year-old has been sidelined since dislocating the joint during the Reds’ 3-0 win at Leeds United in mid-September.
But he was seen working with a ball at the club’s Kirkby training base and is closing in on a comeback.
Liverpool remain reluctant to put a timeline on his return, citing the potential for setbacks in his rehabilitation.
But club sources say Elliott’s commitment to a gruelling programme has put him in a position to resume full training ahead of schedule.
The news is a major boost to Jurgen Klopp, who underlined his faith in the teenager prior to that early-season setback.
Elliott was making his third consecutive Premier League start at Leeds, having also featured in the line-ups against Burnley and Chelsea.
The boyhood Reds fan had impressed on loan at Blackburn during the previous season.
