Irish defender Conor Masterson has been named in Liverpool's squad to face Man United on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp is facing somewhat of a defensive crisis ahead of the clash at Anfield with three key defenders missing.
Full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (foot) and Joel Matip (broken collarbone) this week joined Joe Gomez (fractured leg) on the injury list, leaving the Reds boss with just two fit centre-halves in Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren.
20-year-old centre-back Masterson was an unused sub in last April's Merseyside derby and since the end of last season has trained regularly with the senior team.
The Dubliner has been a regular for the under-23 team which currently sits top of the Premier League 2 table.
Klopp admitted that his defender headache is unlikely to force him into the January transfer window.
"A crisis is if you feel it is a crisis. With Trent, it's not as serious as with the other two boys, but of course it's not top class news, that's clear," he said.
"Our situation is like this: if you would have asked me two weeks before if we were doing anything in the transfer window I would have said probably not.
"Now we have two centre-halves left. Will we do something? Not really likely because they are not out for (long)."
The good news for Liverpool is right-back Nathaniel Clyne has returned to the fitness.
Provisional squad: Alisson, Milner, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Shaqiri, Firmino, Mane, Salah, Mignolet, Moreno, Masterson, Phillips, Henderson, Keita, Sturridge, Origi, Camacho.
- additional reporting by PA
