Liverpool have confirmed that young defender Nathaniel Phillips will be out of action for the majority of the rest of the season, after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury.
The Reds' strength in depth has been tested in recent weeks, in defence especially, but Phillips currently ranks far enough down the pecking order that his absence is unlikely to be felt by the first team - the 21-year-old failing to feature when Jurgen Klopp named a much changed linenup in the FA Cup on Monday night.
The busy festive period has seen many first-team defenders missing from the picture.