Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reveals Nathaniel Clyne is fit to face Man Utd
Injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold (foot), Joel Matip (broken collarbone) and Joe Gomez (fractured leg) leaves the Reds short of options at the back.
James Milner started out-of-position at right-back for the 4-0 win over Bournemouth last weekend but Clyne has returned to full fitness.
Klopp said: “Is he ready for 90 minutes? I don't know. But is he ready? Yes.
"Clyne is a very experienced player. Is it perfect? No. But is he experienced enough to do it? Yes, 100 per cent.
“We have other options so we will not push Clyney after not the longest spell of training.
"As long as we have options everything is fine. If we don't have the obvious option any more then we need to be creative.
"Hopefully we don't have to be creative too often because it's never a good sign for the squad.”
A back problem saw Clyne absent for swathes of last term and led to him missing out on a World Cup berth with England.
The 27-year-old has made just one senior outing this season – in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea – and has only twice been included in a match day squad in the Premier League.
With Matip and Gomez out until the New Year and Alexander-Arnold’s return uncertain, Liverpool could look to the January transfer window to bolster their squad.
But Klopp looks set to test the versatility of his players rather than resort to making a short-term signing.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund coach added: “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.
”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).”
Liverpool head into the weekend top of the Premier League but could be deposed by Manchester City by the time they face arch-rivals United at Anfield on Sunday.
Despite sixth-placed United being 16 points behind, Klopp knows better than to write-off Jose Mourinho's side despite all the criticism being levelled at the Portuguese coach
He added: “I was never interested in the points of Manchester United, and I am not today.
"I am aware of the criticism and stuff but when we analyse them and switch off the sound, there is a lot of quality.
"There is speed, technique, physical strength, pretty much everything. They still have De Gea in goal, unbelievable.
"They have strikers they can switch between (Marcus) Rashford, (Romelu) Lukaku, (Jesse) Lingard, (Anthony) Martial, unbelievable quality.
"We don't judge the points they have, we judge the quality they have, and we prepare for that."
Mourinho has been wrestling with the problem of how to get the best out of £89million midfielder Paul Pogba.
Asked whether he thought United were better with or without the World Cup winner, Klopp said: “I don't know how much you ask Jose Mourinho about players from us? Does somebody ask him about Gini Wijnaldum? I think 100 per cent not.
"What can I say? Paul Pogba is a world-class player. That's all I can say, and he's a Man United player so I think we should prepare for him as well.“
The Liverpool boss was also cheekily asked whether he would like to manage the France international after Michael Owen suggested he or Pep Guardiola would get more out of the 25-year-old.
But Klopp added: "You know better than I, what happens if I give an answer to that question so no answer!
"If you can make a story with that, that would be cool. 'Klopp denies an answer!'"
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