Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson says he is not prepared to rush left-back Fabio Aurelio back from injury.
The Brazilian defender picked up an achilles injury during last month’s Europa League victory over Trabzonspor, after re-signing for the club this summer.
And with Paul Konchesky now out of action for at least two games, Hodgson finds himself with a bit of a selection problem on the left side of defence.
And Hodgson today hinted that we should not expect to see Aurelio back on the pitch anytime soon.
“Where Fabio Aurelio is concerned, caution and prudence have to be the words that we use,” said Hodgson.
“He is progressing all the time and his efforts are very commendable but we can’t bring him back too early.
“We took him off against Trabzonspor as a precautionary measure, as we didn’t want to run the risk of him sustaining a serious problem.”
Aurelio has struggled with a succession of injuries and fitness problems at the club since his arrival from Valencia in 2006.