Daniel Sturridge could feature in Liverpool's Premier League trip to bottom club Queens Park Rangers this weekend, manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed.
The England striker has been unavailable since early September with a thigh injury picked up on international duty, but is close to making a return to the side.
"We'll have to see where he is at tomorrow and go from there," Rodgers, whose side play on Sunday, told reporters.
"He's been out a long time, nearly six weeks. I must give credit to our medical team."
"Daniel has made us a real threat and when you take him out of the team the model of your game is different," Rodgers, who has been relying on misfiring new signing Mario Balotelli to lead the attack, added.
"But when he is playing he is one of the top European strikers. It's important for him to be playing games."
With midfielders Joe Allen and Emre Can also available again after injuries, Liverpool will be hoping to kickstart their season after a stuttering start to the campaign.
"I'm quite relaxed on it all and we will look at it after 10 games to see how we're set," Rodgers, whose side sit ninth, said. "At this point in time, we are looking to improve our performance level and we know we will get better.
"There's no crisis - we lost a world class player and brought a number in.
The players here are magnificent and the attitude and effort they show gives me the hope we can push on."
"It's been grossly unfair how Raheem has been criticised for something he did not say." - Brendan Rodgers
Inevitably, Rodgers was asked about the so-called 'club versus country row' involving Raheem Sterling that has rumbled on ever since England manager Roy Hodgson revealed that Sterling did not face Estonia last week because he was tired.
"Roy and I have exchanged messages, we want to put this to bed and move on, and concentrate on looking after a huge talent," Rodgers said.
"I read people talking about club v country. I take great pride in players playing for their country. We have many internationals.
"It's been grossly unfair how Raheem has been criticised for something he did not say. He's back here in a secure environment.
"He's a wonderful talent, he's a kid we've brought up to be honest and responsible. All he said was that he was tired."
In addition to Hodgson making public Sterling's comments, he also questioned Liverpool's use of a 48-hour recovery programme for the likes of the youngster and Sturridge.
Hodgson said there was no evidence to suggest the two-day recovery plan worked but Rodgers defended his methods, although he stressed that did not mean he was at odds with England or any other country.
The pair have exchanged messages about the situation but have yet to speak directly.
"Roy is a manager with great experience who has been around the game long enough and all managers deal with situations different. I am not here to make any comment on that," Rodgers added.
"One thing to clear up is this second-day recovery: people are looking at it thinking Liverpool players are sat at home with their feet up on the couch.
"The recovery is different for each individual player but our second day of recovery is a technical session outside and the key in that session is the intensity and density of the session - the spaces are very small which still allows me to do the technical and tactical work required.
"That has worked for me right the way through my life and in my time here I believe helped Steven Gerarrd and Daniel Agger, when he was here, to play the games they did.
"I am not waiting to read a thesis in 10 years' time to give me evidence - we are at the leading edge of the game and we need to create evidence ourselves.
"We ask our players to be responsible when they go on international duty to only think of their country and not their clubs, so this is a club which is very much club AND country, not club versus country.
"People who know me well enough as a coach know Liverpool are not a barrier to England or any country.
"I will continue to hopefully work for all nations with all the players I work with to help improve them and develop them, and when they move on to play for their countries hopefully they will be better players."
