Jurgen Klopp expects Darwin Nunez to be back in contention for Liverpool this weekend - and explained how Stefan Bajcetic is now a fully-fledged first-team squad member.
Nunez missed last weekend's dismal Premier League defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion along with the midweek FA Cup third round replay win at Wolverhampton Wanderers due to a minor muscle complaint.
However, the Uruguayan striker was pictured in training on Thursday ahead of Saturday's Premier League lunchtime clash with Chelsea at Anfield.
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And asked on Friday if Nunez was closer to contention, Klopp said: "Yes."
While Roberto Firmino, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk and Arthur Melo all remain out, Klopp is hopeful there are no new absences after the win at Wolves, although Kostas Tsimikas suffered a knock to his back late on.
The Reds boss is likely to again make changes, with Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mohamed Salah all pressing for a recall to the starting line-up.
Bajcetic, making only his third senior start, was an impressive performer at Molineux. And Klopp now regards the 18-year-old Spanish midfielder as part of the first-team set-up.
"He has for a while been closer to getting into my thoughts for a start," said the Reds boss. "He was injured for two games. Nothing serious, painful, but now he has played and is closer. You can't be closer to a team than always being in a squad and coming on, stuff like this.
"Do we have to be careful with him because of his development? It doesn't look like that, no."
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