After a nightmare December and with January not promising to be any more lenient, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp will be sweating over the return of his current injured Reds crop.
A total of 13 players are currently injured at Anfield, and with a hectic shedule starting with Arsenal on Wednesday the return of some key players will be a relief to The Reds.
The Hamstring (or hamstrung?) seven
No more than seven first team players are currently out of action with hamstring problems; defender Dejan Lovren and forward Divock Origi are expected to be available for selection in late January, while midfielder and star man Phillipe Coutinho along with defender Martin Skrtel are not expected back until at least mid-February.
Youngsters Jordan Rossiter and Jordan Ibe also face hamstring issues and have not been given a return date while striker Daniel Sturridge (also hamstring) is nearing a return to full fitness but with injuries plaguing the England forward for several seasons it is unlikely he will be rushed back into the fold before late January.
Daniel Sturridge is one of the more unlucky of the injured players picking up a total of nine injuries and has currently missed 75 games since signing for the Redmen back in 2013. The forward still is the Merseyside club's most prolfic Premier League striker, maintaining a better goalscoring rate than both Fernando Torres and former SAS partner Luis Suarez, meaning his return could be a key factor in the race for the top four.
Short-Term injuries
Liverpool supporters will be happy to learn that fan-favourite Jon Flanagan, nicknamed 'The Scouse-Cafu', is edging very close to a return with the player predicted to return to full fitness on January 17th. The right-back played 45 minutes for the Liverpool Under-21's against Morecambe as the 23-year-old will look to put his 18-month injury nightmare behind him.
Defender Kolo Toure suffered cramp in Liverpool's 1-0 League Cup semi final win against Stoke City, the Ivorian is expected to be available sooner rather than later as Klopp is becoming desperate for fit experienced players. Fellow centre-back Mamadou Sakho aggravated a knee injury that he suffered two months ago at Crystal palace in the Stoke tie but the Frenchman should be available come January 17th.
Captain Jordan Henderson has experienced a stop/start campaign this term picking up a heel injury as well as a metatarsal fracture early on, the former Sunderland midfielder has not been given an expected date of return as the Liverpool boss wants him fully evaluated before being brought back into the side.
After being recalled just two days before, Tiago Ilori may also be joining the treatment room. The Portugese 22-year-old was sent out on loan to Aston Villa with the option to buy in the summer yet he never made a single appearance for the Villians. The defender debutted for Liverpool against Exeter City on Friday but limped off with fatigue issues after 70 minutes, the player will be hopeful he hasnt suffered any injuries with the former Sporting Lisbon man given a massive chance to stake a claim on Merseyside.
Long-Term injuries
Striker Danny Ings was in a rich vein of form before he was struck down by an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) knee injury ruling the forward out for the rest of the season. The former Burnley man is still the subject of a tribunal fee which could rise to a figure of around £10 million paid to Burnley after making his England Debut in October.
Defender Joe Gomez suffered a similar fate to Ings as he also suffered an ACL knee injury. The 18-year-old signed from Charlton in the summer for around £6 million and quickly became a fan favourite on Merseyside displaying a string of confident performances at left back; both players are not expected back until August.