Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Joe Gomez is ready to return to competitive action following his injury lay-off.
The Liverpool boss sees no point in rushing the young star back, though, claiming he will remain sidelined unless one of his current defenders suffers an injury.
Klopp claims that easing Gomez back into action would present a more prudent approach rather than throwing him in at the deep end, with Joel Matip proving to be a more than adequate replacement during his injury lay-off.
Speaking to the media before his side's clash with Chelsea, Klopp said, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo: “He’s [Gomez] a wonderful footballer and needs time so we have to make sure he is 100% fit.
"If the other boys are fit we can give Joe time to get to full fitness and match practice elsewhere.”
Gomez had been in superb form for Liverpool before he suffered a fractured leg in December, and his rise to stardom under Klopp will undoubtedly see him form the backbone of the Reds' defence for many years to come.
He may well have a watching brief, however, as Liverpool attempt to win their first ever Premier League crown. The Reds currently top the table by two points, though title rivals Manchester City do have a game in hand following their participation in last weekend's FA Cup semi-finals.
They face a crunch game against heavyweight rivals Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, and will be keen to erase the memories of Steven Gerrard's infamous slip when the two teams met back in 2014 - when Liverpool were last in serious contention to clinch a maiden Premier League crown.
Source : 90min