Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said he will not rush his injured defensive players back before they are ready despite a mounting injury list that now includes Fabinho.
The Brazilian midfielder filled in for long-term absentee Virgil van Dijk for Tuesday's Champions League win against Midtjylland but limped off in the first half with a muscle issue.
Liverpool face a nervous wait to find out the extent of the injury, with Van Dijk already set to miss most of the season after suffering a serious knee injury in the Merseyside derby against Everton 10 days ago.
Teenager Rhys Williams, who came on for Fabinho, could make his Premier League debut against West Ham on Saturday, with Klopp unsure whether Joel Matip, another who has spent time on the treatment table this season, will be available.
"If it would be only one game we play, if it was the last game of the season, then I think we could make probably one or the other fit for one game," he said.
"But then we play three days later again [at Atalanta] and we need again players.
"The players who are now injured, we cannot use them on the first day of being fit again, or not injured any more. They need then a proper build-up for the rest of the season, and that's what we try."
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Liverpool ratings v Midtjylland
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Klopp opted to start Tuesday's match with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino on the bench and Liverpool failed to register a shot on target in the first half.
But Diogo Jota tapped home in the 55th minute after good work by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Xherdan Shaqiri, and substitute Salah converted a stoppage-time penalty in a 2-0 win.
The result leaves Liverpool two points clear at the top of Group D after winning both of their first two matches.
