Divock Origi will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness for the UEFA Europa League final as he vies to feature for Liverpool against Sevilla in Basel on Wednesday night, Jürgen Klopp has revealed.
The Belgian striker has missed the last seven matches in all competitions with a serious ankle injury which he sustained in the Reds' 4-0 demolition of Merseyside rivals Everton in the Premier League April.
But while a fully-changed side drew 1-1 with West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the season on Sunday, Origi was involved in a training session with the rest of those likely to form a stronger, and more familiar, starting eleven in Switzerland as he steps up his recovery.
With the injury having cut off the No.27's campaign just when he was hitting full stride, scoring five goals in five appearances including crucial strikes against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals and a towering header in the Merseyside Derby.
And he will be hoping to cap off the season with a cameo in the final at St. Jakob-Park after taking part in the Reds' open training session on Tuesday night, with Klopp keen to continue monitoring his fitness to determine whether he can be involved.
Liverpool willing to leave it late on Origi
Speaking at his pre-match press conference 24 hours before the final, the Reds boss suggested that Liverpool will take a relaxed approach towards Origi's fitness, insisting: "We will see [whether he can play]."
The German added that they "had another session" earlier this week in which the 21-year-old forward featured and said that he "did well" in that and the previous session at Melwood on Sunday.
Suggesting that he was disappointed not to have an element of surprise as per Origi's inclusion, joking that the journalists can "watch it" which means they the club "can do nothing." However, he explained that they "will see how it [the injury] feels" and then "make a decision" about his chances of featuring.
Even having the Belgium international in contention for a place in the match-day squad, with it more likely that Origi could be an option off the bench for the last 15-20 minutes, is a significant boost for Liverpool.
The striker has had a fine season, his best performances coinciding with an immense development and progression since Klopp's arrival at the club, as one of five players to hit double figures across all competitions - just two less than joint-top goalscorers Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho.
Those two are expected to form part of the Reds' attacking quartet, which also includes Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino, with Klopp likely to field the same side which drew 1-1 with Chelsea a week ago.