Raheem Sterling's ongoing contract saga will not affect his availability for Liverpool's trip to Stoke City this Sunday, says manager Brendan Rodgers, who also says the player is not unhappy at the club.
The 20-year-old's future with the Reds is looking increasingly uncertain, after the club cancelled a scheduled meeting with the player and his agent Aidy Ward.
The talks were meant to be a discussion over the proposed contract extension put to Sterling, but Ward's offensive comments about the club and former defender Jamie Carragher, now a Sky Sports pundit, led the club to postpone.
Sterling, one of Europe's brightest young stars, has already rejected a new deal worth £100,000-a-week and Ward insisted that the player would also reject a deal worth nearly £1 million-a-week at the club, if it was offered.
But despite the fact that Sterling, who is believed to prefer a move to a Premier League rival, has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons throughout the week - Rodgers is still prepared to use the England forward at the Britannia Stadium this weekend.
"If he's fit, which at this moment in time he is, he'll be available for selection like he has been nearly every game," said the Reds' boss.
"My relationship with him hasn't been affected at all. I've given Raheem an opportunity to play for one of the greatest clubs in the world and he's done exceptionally well in taking that opportunity.
"What goes on with contracts - and of course we want to resolve the situation with respect to that - it doesn't change my approach to him.
"I still always maintain this is a really, really good boy, a good kid, who has matured very, very well over the last few years. He is a wonderful young football player and that is my only concentration. There is no problem there."
Liverpool travel to Stoke knowing that if they fail to win and results elsewhere go against them, their Europa League campaign could start in the play-off rounds early in July, as opposed to starting in the group stages.
And Rodgers is prepared to use Sterling, who has scored seven goals in the Premier League this season, to ensure that the club guarantee their berth in the competition.
The 20-year-old, who is set to tell Anfield officials that he wants to move on, has complained that the club havefailed to prevent negative headlines about him, adding that he feels "bullied" into signing a new contract on Merseyside.
"It's very difficult to comment on what other people speak about, but we've always been very, very clear here at Liverpool - if we have any meetings or discussions to take place, whether it's with players, manager or whatever, it'll all be dealt with internally," said Rodgers.
"We don't like to publicise what we're going to do. We just look to do it in-house and as privately as possibly can be. The concentration for myself is to continue to improve Raheem as a football player.
"The facts of everything are very, very simple - whether there were talks or no talks, Raheem has two years left on his deal at Liverpool. I expect him to see that two years through and continue to behave as immaculately as he's done in the time I've been at the club. For me, it's quite simple."
But despite the fact Sterling seems to be angling for a move away after the Reds failed to win any silverware or finish inside the topf-our this season, Rodgers has insisted that he does not believe the youngster is discontent.
"I don't see Raheem being unhappy," the Northern Irishman continued. "Raheem's representative made it very clear they wanted to speak at the end of the season, so for us our concentration is really on the last game of the season. Then I'm sure talks will take place over the course of the summer.
"He's a young boy who has developed incredibly well over the course of the last nearly three seasons and we hope that development will take place further here.
Asked whether he was disappointed in how public Sterling's contract situation has become, Rodgers responded: "Your preference - and how we like to work here - is to keep everything behind closed doors. I can't speak for what other people may say or do, we can only control our own business here."
Sterling was awarded with the Young Player of the Year accolade at the club's end of season ceremony earlier this week and collected his award to some boos from the crowd.
Nevertheless, Rodgers insisted that Sterling will retain the backing of the Liverpool fans througout the English internatonal's stay at Anfield.
"Listen, the Liverpool supporters always back their own players," he said. "If he starts or doesn't start at the weekend, or plays any part in the game, he will get the support of the supporters.
"The away support in particular has been absolutely incredible. Every game, the stands are packed and they give us great support, and that's for every single player. I wouldn't expect that to change."