Daniel Sturridge has an outside chance of making Liverpool's trip to West Ham United on Saturday afternoon, his manager Jürgen Klopp has revealed.
The Reds travel to East London to take on the Hammers in their first game of the New Year, having won their last two games 1-0 over Leicester City and Sunderland to see out 2015 on a high.
But with Klopp's charges looking to make it three consecutive league victories when they visit Upton Park, they will be missing a number of key figures - with the boss having only had Jordon Ibe and Joao Carlos Teixeira to call upon off the bench at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night.
But they could be boosted by the availability of prolific striker Sturridge, with Christian Benteke the only other senior fit frontman available.
No Milner and Origi for injury-stricken Reds
Klopp, speaking to reporters in his pre-West Ham press conference, insisted that James Milner will miss out with a calf injury sustained in training earlier in the month, whilst Divock Origi's muscle problem picked up on Boxing Day will also keep him sidelined.
But he added that Sturridge "maybe" can play "if we try" - with the 26-year-old having not featured since the loss to Newcastle United on December 6.
The German also explained that midfielder Joe Allen was unavailable against Sunderland due to falling ill. He said that the club's doctor told him yesterday afternoon that he would have to be sent home and that they "have to wait for diagnosis" to see whether he will feature against Slaven Bilić's side this weekend.
Klopp unsure of whether his captain will be fit or not
Captain Jordan Henderson was another victim of injury, being forced off on the hour mark of their 1-0 win against his former side after complaining of discomfort in his heel throughout.
Though the troubling issue has already kept Henderson out for long periods this season, Klopp refused to talk about the severity of his skipper's injury.
He said that there is "no update" at the moment and that they "have to wait a little bit" as he explained that there is "something with the heel."
But he admitted that the issue could actually "be good for him" and believes they "have to see" because the midfielder is "a real tough guy."
He praised his efforts for trying to play through the pain but said that he and his backroom staff realised the situation was "not perfect" and had to bring him off and said that they "have to wait a few hours more or a day or two" before they "know more" about the length of time Henderson will be out for.
