Brendan Rodgers says Daniel Sturridge is the fittest he has been for 18 months, but insists he will proceed with caution and ease him back into first-team duty.
The England striker has not played a competitive match since 8 April, and made only 19 appearances during the 2014-15 season as he struggled with hip and hamstring injuries.
After spending most of the summer undergoing rehabilitation in the United States, this week he returned to full training with the rest of the squad after recovering from a hip operation in May.
Daniel Sturridge last played for England in September 2014
But the Liverpool manager says they are in no rush to bring him back.
"There is no timeline as to when he will be fit to participate in the game but he is obviously back in training, which is good," said Rodgers.
"He looked really sharp in training, probably the best he's looked fitness-wise for 18 months, and it will be really good when he gets back."
The 26-year-old will not be ready for Saturday's match against Manchester United at Old Trafford but his impending return will boost a goal-shy squad which has scored just two goals in four matches and none in their last two.
“He has worked hard. He has joined in with the group and we will take it from there, day-by-day”
Brendan Rodgers on Daniel Sturridge
Though Sturridge will not be available for selection at Old Trafford, Rodgers said it is important they think long-term with regards to his recovery.
"I can never say that [he is over the worst of his injuries] because I don't want to sit here and something happens in a couple of months' time.
"I can only look at what I see and from my experiences in the past. I don't want to put any timeline on him coming back.
"I am grateful for the work done in America, for our own medical team who have done a brilliant job to do everything they possibly could to get Daniel back to a level of fitness.
"He has worked hard. He has joined in with the group and we will take it from there, day-by-day."
