Liverpool FC boss Brendan Rodgers is ready to hand Jon Flanagan his derby debut against Everton on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Academy graduate is vying with Aly Cissokho for the left-back spot after Jose Enrique was ruled out for two months with a knee injury.
Flanagan, who made his first Premier League start for 19 months against Arsenal earlier this month, has successfully battled his way back into the manager's plans.
He's more suited to the right-back role but has deputised on the other flank previously and Rodgers has no concerns about the prospect of putting him into the white-hot atmosphere of a Goodison derby .
Flanagan has clocked up 18 first-team appearances over the past two and a half years but Saturday would be the first time he has faced the Blues.
“With Jose out, I've got Aly who came in as cover but I've also got other options like young Jon Flanagan,” Rodgers told the ECHO.
“Jon has been outstanding in training and he seems to be getting better and better.
“He did very well against Arsenal. He didn't do anything wrong in that game.
“When he came off, it was simply because we wanted to be more offensive as we were chasing the game.
“Jon is a young player who will never let you down. Of course it's disappointing if you lose your No 1 left-back for a few months but it's an opportunity for someone else to come in and do well.”
Rodgers experimented with Mamadou Sakho at left-back in the defeat to Southampton in September but he has ruled out playing the big £15million centre-back there against the Blues.
“We looked at that once and it didn't quite work for us,” he admitted.
“It's an option but we would prefer more mobility there. It takes away our offensive treat.
“I'm not concerned about that position. Cissokho and Flanagan can both play there.
“Whether Jon has played at right-back or left-back he has never let the team down.”
Enrique is set to undergo surgery after breaking down in training after aggravating a long-standing knee problem.
The Spaniard had hoped that five weeks on the sidelines had cured the injury prior to making his comeback as a substitute against Fulham a fortnight ago.
However, it has continued to restrict him and the decision has been made for him to go under the knife. He's unlikely to be back in action until late January.
“It's disappointing to lose Jose as he's a very good player,” Rodgers said.
“It's been ongoing over the past two and a half months and it's been difficult for him.
“He rested it to see if that would sort it out but he's come back and he's still got the problem. It's not a major operation but it will probably means he's out for a couple of months.”
Luis Suarez arrived back on Merseyside tonight after benefiting from the use of principal owner John W Henry's private plane to speed up his return from Uruguay.
The striker played the full 90 minutes against Jordan in Montevideo on Wednesday night as his nation booked their passage to next summer's World Cup finals.
“We're thankful to the owners as if Luis had got a normal flight he wouldn't have been back until Friday lunchtime,” Rodgers said.
“We wanted to get him back as early as possibly to get him rested and ready for the game on Saturday.”
Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard continued their recovery from their midweek exploits with England by training away from the main group at Melwood on Thursday.
However, Rodgers expects them both to be fit to face the Blues.
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