New attacker Philippe Coutinho will add an extra level of competition to the Liverpool first team according to manager Brendan Rodgers.
The Northern Irishman swooped for the Inter Milan midfielder on the penultimate day of the January transfer window to further bolster his options after the arrival of Daniel Sturridge.
A previous injury means Coutinho may not be available for as instant an impact as the striker - who has notched four times in six appearances - and the 20-year-old's fitness will be assessed in the coming days.
But the increased battle for places in the starting XI that the signing of Coutinho brings is exactly what the boss was aiming for.
"He had been injured but he trained this morning. He's a young player that I've got very high hopes for," Rodgers told reporters at his pre-West Brom press conference on Friday.
"Daniel was ready to come in and play; with Philippe, we'll see how he goes in the next few days.
"He had a bridging session yesterday - he was with the medical team in Milan, came here and we've assessed where he's at in terms of fitness.
"He trained with the group this morning and we'll observe him over the next couple of days.
"He's a top young player with big experience. Bringing him into the group adds competition. The team that have been involved in the last couple of games have been exceptional.
"It's very important that the players on the side are fighting to get into the team. The key for us all was to build a competitive squad to challenge.
"The players have done remarkably well up to this point, but there's still a long way to go for us - an awful lot of improvements to make, consistency to find. But we're on the right path."
Despite performances deserving of six points from fixtures at Arsenal and Manchester City, the Reds collected just two from the respective journeys to the Emirates and the Etihad.
Rodgers refused to concede defeat in the battle for fourth, however, and says his players are of the same mentality.
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