LIVERPOOL -- Christian Benteke is ready to return to Liverpool's attack when they visit Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday -- but Daniel Sturridge is still out.
Benteke missed Wednesday's 1-0 Capital One Cup fourth-round home victory over Bournemouth after tweaking ligaments in his knee.
There were concerns that the Belgium international, who had only just come back after a month out with hamstring trouble, would miss the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Manager Jurgen Klopp has given Benteke a clean bill of health, but confirmed that fellow forward Sturridge will miss a fifth successive game with a knee problem.
The England forward suffered the injury in a training ground collision with team-mate Jordon Ibe on Oct. 15, two days before Klopp's first game in charge, a 0-0 Premier League draw at Tottenham.
Sturridge will be absent on Saturday, as will centre-back Kolo Toure, who has a hamstring problem.
Klopp said: "Christian trained, not quite normally with one of our fitness coaches. It was good, so he is prepared for tomorrow. That is the only thing that is changed.
"Kolo's injury is not the most serious, but he cannot play tomorrow. We have no Daniel."
Klopp has had to deal with a lengthy injury list since taking charge on Oct. 8, with Sturridge and Toure missing, captain Jordan Henderson unavailable because of a broken bone in his foot, and striker Danny Ings and defender Joe Gomez both recovering from long-term knee injuries.
The manager, though, insisted he had no criticisms of the club's medical department over the injuries.
He said: "I think it's one of the departments that works perfectly. If you have a look on the kind of injuries we have, then you know it's nothing to do with the medical department. It's because of hits [tackles] or other things.
"The boys and girls in the medical department work so hard. We have to wait for the injured players, but we have to work with the other guys -- that's how football works."
Klopp, meanwhile, believes that Liverpool have sent too many of their young players out on loan, suggesting that their development would be better served back at Liverpool and playing in their under-21 side.
His predecessor Brendan Rodgers allowed 17 players to go out on loan, including young players such as Sheyi Ojo, who is at Wolves, and fellow winger Sergi Canos, who is at Brentford.
Klopp is frustrated that some of those players, such as Tiago Ilori at Aston Villa and fellow defender Andre Wisdom at Norwich, have not been getting regular games, which would appear to defeat the purpose of the loan.
Klopp said: "Of course I am looking at the loan players. We are always looking. Since I've been here, I've tried to learn about English football, because it's completely different.
"It's part of my job, that's what we do with guys here, that's what we have to do with the guys on loan. I watch these players, but I went to Wolverhampton to watch Ojo, and he didn't play.
"We have to make a decision at some point. I'm not sure it's good to give players to other clubs, because it's a pressure that's not good at this age. Maybe we can cool things down a little bit and help players play more in the second team."