Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says midfielder Thiago Alcantara has not recovered in time for their crunch clash against Manchester City on Sunday after picking up a knee problem in the Merseyside derby.
The Spaniard, a £20million signing from Bayern Munich this summer, played no part in the Reds' 2-1 win over West Ham last week, and there were fears that the 29-year-old may require surgery.
But Klopp said while Thiago did not have to go under the knife, he still needed more time before returning to the first team fold.