Having seen a summer move fail to develop, Liverpool midfielder James Balagizi has spent much of the campaign out injured, but is now back ahead of January.
Balagizi took in two loan spells last term, firstly with Wigan and then, after a mid-season recall, Kilmarnock, before heading back to Merseyside for pre-season.
But having spent the summer with Liverpool U21s, the expectation had been that the 21-year-old would then depart either on loan or even on a permanent basis.
A transfer never materialised, however, and he went on to score one and assist another in a 3-2 victory over Sunderland U21s in September.
That proved to be his only appearance in the first four months of the campaign, with a hamstring injury keeping Balagizi sidelined until the start of this month.
And with the U21s signing off for 2024 with a 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace on Monday, the versatile midfielder was able to come off the bench to cap his recovery from a lengthy issue.
The congested festive schedule puts even the strongest squads in English football to the test. Liverpool are no different.
With that in mind, it was no great surprise to see head coach Arne Slot make a number of changes for the midweek win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup.
Of course, that many shifts in personnel come with a certain degree of risk. But after a well-earned 2-1 win, the Dutchman was able to get minutes into the legs of some fringe players who could turn out to be crucial in the coming weeks.
Even so, there are still a couple of injury issues for Slot to contend with going into what is a huge game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Ibrahima Konate has been absent since the win over Real Madrid with a knee issue. Slot confirmed before Southampton that the France international defender was not yet back in full training, meaning he is unlikely to be available for Spurs.
The same is true for Conor Bradley, for whom the Tottenham game may come too soon. He suffered a hamstring issue against Madrid and is still recovering.
Elsewhere, Liverpool have what looks to be a relatively clean bill of health. Diogo Jota featured against Southampton as a substitute despite some concerns over his fitness after the draw with Fulham.
Slot will also be boosted by the return of Andy Robertson, who served a one-game ban against Southampton after picking up a red card against the Cottagers.
Two Liverpool players may have to tread carefully against Spurs on Sunday if they are to feature on Boxing Day. Ryan Gravenberch and Darwin Nunez are both a booking away from a suspension, as is Konate who will be sidelined anyway.
