Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will make a cameo appearance on Friday when he suits up for Liverpool's under-23 squad, featuring in his first match since suffering a knee injury last April.
Manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed Oxlade-Chamberlain's return Thursday, saying that the English winger, who ruptured his ACL against AS Roma in last season's Champions League, will likely play 45 minutes during Liverpool's fixture with Derby County.
"The plan is to give him some match time," Klopp told Liverpool's website.
"All that we saw so far in training looks really good, it looks really exciting, but we all know it is a massive difference between each training session you have and playing a proper game.
After the club said Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely to miss the "vast majority" of the season, Klopp maintained optimism that the 25-year-old will figure into Liverpool's plans at some point.
Regardless of his performance on Friday, Oxlade-Chamberlain will not be available for matches against Burnley, Bayern Munich, and Fulham, as Klopp won't consider the England international for selection until after the upcoming international break.
"The boys worked really hard and a lot with him in rehab, but you cannot do it like it is a normal football game," Klopp added. "The intensity cannot be that high or you kill a player then. He needs matches and as many as possible, but we are in the middle of the season and will not say now, ‘You need six or seven matches until you are ready."
The Reds are a point back of league leaders Manchester City in the Premier League. They can progress to the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League with a win over Bayern Munich next week. Liverpool was held to a goalless draw in the first leg at Anfield.