LIVERPOOL -- Daniel Sturridge is set to make a long-awaited Liverpool return against Bordeaux in the Europa League on Thursday -- but is still not fit enough to play a full 90 minutes.
Sturridge has missed all eight of Jurgen Klopp's matches in charge to date after suffering a knee injury in training more than a month ago.
The England striker returned to the bench as an unused substitute as Klopp's side won 4-1 at Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.
But the manager is unwilling to rush back a player who has suffered five separate injury setbacks since the beginning of last season, making just 10 Premier League starts in that time.
Klopp said: "Daniel is getting closer. He'd had four days of full training before he was on the bench last Saturday. He's had another three or four sessions since, and that's very important.
"My decision, you will see tomorrow. But it's closer, and that's very, very good. The most important thing in these weeks is that he can train without problems. As everybody knows, he has often had problems.
"We have to try to find the right situation to bring him in. If we feel it's a good moment to bring him in for a few moments or more, we will see in the game."
Christian Benteke is likely to lead the attack against Bordeaux having recovered fully from the hamstring and knee problems that have troubled him since his £32.5 million move from Aston Villa in July.
Centre-back Martin Skrtel, though, is a significant doubt because of illness, while playmaker Philippe Coutinho is unavailable due to a hamstring injury he suffered against City at the weekend.
Thursday's match will see Klopp go head to head with Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol, a Champions League winner during his nine years as a right-back with Bayern Munich.
Klopp, himself a defender in Germany with Mainz before establishing himself as a leading manager in the Bundesliga, has fond memories of Sagnol, a World Cup finalist with France in 2006.
The Liverpool manager said: "Willy Sagnol was one of the best full-backs I ever saw. He played sometimes in the German style, whatever that is. I know him better as a player than as a manager, because we never met each other on the sideline.
"I have not seen too much of Bordeaux before I knew we were playing against them. Now I know much more about them.
"I don't think it matters too much who is on the sideline tomorrow, because it is the players who will decide the result. He was a world class full-back, I was a non-league full-back. We will see what works better."