Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has suggested Thiago Alcantara could be fit to return to action as early as next week after the midfielder cruelly missed the Carabao Cup final through injury.
Thiago was named in the starting XI for Sunday's clash vs Chelsea but was forced to withdraw from the lineup before kick-off after suffering an issue in the warm-up.
Naby Keita was selected to replace his teammate, while Thiago was seen in tears at his misfortune as he was consoled by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson as the match was set to get underway.
There had been little mention of the severity of Thiago's injury in the immediate aftermath of Liverpool's victory, other than that he had sustained a hamstring problem.
But Klopp has now revealed at his press conference on Tuesday that he expects the midfield maestro to be back soon, possibly even to face Inter Milan in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie next week.
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"It was a very emotional moment," Klopp admitted when recalling the moment Thiago's injury struck. "I watched the warm-up and didn't see anything then I came back and saw him on the bed saying he felt his hamstring. It wasn't a good moment.
"We had to make a decision that he couldn't start.
"When you are that close to playing a final, and for the one player who's probably won the most silverware in the whole squad, showing this emotion, I didn't like that he didn't feel that good, but the desire to play a final I liked a lot. He's fine again but not fit again."
Asked when Thiago would be involved again, Klopp replied: "We don't know exactly. Weekend not sure, maybe Inter, after that definitely."
Thiago has been a key figure in Liverpool's side in recent weeks as the Reds have gone on a superb run of form with the prospect of a potential quadruple in their sights.
Klopp does have the luxury of having a wealth of talent available to him to rotate his squad as they continue to battle silverware on all fronts, starting with the visit of Norwich in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday night before welcoming West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.
But discussing the opportunities for trophies available to Liverpool, Klopp was keen to keep expectations grounded despite having just sealed his first domestic cup as the club's manager.
"The reality is to win something you have to be focused on the next step and not the one after that. That's what we do," he said.
"No [English] team has ever won it [the quadruple]. It's not that we are even close to it. We have won the Carabao Cup, we are behind [Manchester] City in the league and now we have Norwich in the FA Cup after 120 minutes on Sunday.
"I don't see it as a compliment but it's better people think we can do good things rather than be useless. We face a lot of good teams between now and end of May."
