Alberto Aquilani will be fit to take part in Liverpool's opening game of the season when they face FK Rabotnicki in the Europa League on Thursday.
Aquilani, who was restricted to just nine league starts last season due to injury, missed a 1-0 friendly defeat to Kaiserslautern on Saturday after suffering a knee problem.
However, with Liverpool missing a number of players following their World Cup commitments, Roy Hodgson has welcomed the news that Aquilani will be available.
"Peter [Brukner, head of sports medicine and sports science] told me he ran for the first time on Saturday," Hodgson told the club's official website. "So I would expect him to be fit for Thursday."
Liverpool's medical staff have advised Hodgson not to use any members of the squad who were involved at the World Cup finals, although with a place in the Europa League proper at stake, Hodgson has hinted he is ready to ignore their advice.
The likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have only just returned to the squad but could be called upon if Liverpool require their services.
"I don't know what to do at this stage," Hodgson said. "I will have to liaise with them and Peter Brukner and make a decision by Tuesday on what sort of team I can put out. I can promise the Liverpool fans we will put out the best possible team, without compromising the future."
New striker Milan Jovanovic, whose Serbia side were knocked out in the group stages in South Africa, is in contention after making his debut against Kaiserslautern. He performed in an unfamiliar role in the friendly defeat but is happy to do so again if Hodgson asks him to.
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