Liverpool have been handed a mbuttive boost with the news that Momo Sissoko could be included in this evening's squad to take on Birmingham City.
It would be an amazing return for the player if he was to take part but even if he just makes the squad, it would be a right boost for the club.
Only a few weeks ago there were serious concerns that he may never play football again because of his eye injury so to see him back so soon would be great.
Speaking today, Rafa said: "I think he'll be in the squad.
"I don't know if he can play yet but we've been trying all different types of glbuttes to protect the eye and we'll have to see."
Plus this from the OS:
Momo Sissoko today spoke of the 'lonely hours' he spent lying on his bed at home wondering if he'd ever play football again. The Liverpool midfielder returned to training last week after making an amazing recovery from the severe eye injury he picked up during the Reds' Champions League clash against Benfica last month.
There were fears Sissoko would never see again out of the right eye so badly damaged by Beto's boot in Lisbon's Stadium of Light ö so to see him back in training at Melwood with his team-mates has come as a mbuttive relief to everyone connected with Liverpool FC.
The Mali midfielder admits the last few weeks have represented the worst period of his life as he had to contend with thoughts that a career which was promising so much could be over at the age of just 21.
"It was an awful time," he told Liverpoolfc.tv in an exclusive interview at Melwood. "There were lots of lonely hours at home when I was very worried and very scared about what was going to happen. It was such a bad injury.
"I don't mind admitting I cried a lot. I thought 'this can't be happening to me'. It didn't seem possible that I could be in this situation. I just had to lie there and rest and hope that my vision would get better. It was only a couple of weeks but it felt much, much longer."
The initial prognosis wasn't good. After being transported to a top Lisbon hospital to be examined, a Portuguese specialist then informed the media that Sissoko only had a 20 per cent chance of seeing out of his right eye again.
Understandably, that prediction caused a lot of worry and heartache as newspapers and websites all over the world ran sensationalist stories that the Liverpool midfielder's career was potentially over.
Sissoko knew what was being said and written, but he wasn't prepared to give up a fight he had only just started.
"I wasn't happy when the Portuguese doctor told me that because all I want to do is play football," he added. "He said that football was finished for me. I didn't like that. I didn't believe that. We went to see other specialists and thankfully things have got a lot better.
"I knew I had a big problem and I knew what people were saying, but I tried my best to stay positive and to be as calm as possible. I had a lot of support from a lot of people and they helped me a tremendous amount.
"When we came home from Portugal I was told to rest completely. I couldn't do anything, not even watch the television. It was very boring but I had no choice. I knew I had to follow the advice to give myself the best possible chance of recovery. My family, my girlfriend, my manager, the players and even the president of my country were speaking to me and wishing me well.
"I want to say a special thank you to all the Liverpool supporters who wrote to me and who left messages wishing me well. It meant a lot to know I had so many people caring about me.
"Rafael Benitez stayed in touch while I was at home and he always tried to give me confidence that I would make a recovery and come back into the team.
"The good thing is my vision did get better every day. That's what gave me the confidence that everything was going to be okay. After one week my vision was a bit better and it has just gone on from there. It was comforting to know I was getting better. If I was just lying there day after day and still wasn't able to see anything then it would have been bad and I would have been very scared again.
"Three weeks ago I had zero vision in my right eye, now it's about eighty per cent so that is a quick recovery. It's hard to say if it'll ever be perfect. There's a chance it might but also a chance it might not. Only time will tell. The big thing for me is I can play football again. That's all I want to do."
Sissoko, who will wear a protective eye shield for the rest of the season similar to the device worn by Tottenham's Edgar Davids, is now keen to put this episode of his life behind him and concentrate on picking up where he left off before injury struck.
"The problem came at a bad time for me because I felt I was playingwell and contributing to the team. I'm training with my team-mates again and last week I started playing football again. It's great to be back out there with them. I missed it so much.
"Physically I feel very good but it's down to the manager now when he feels I'm ready to play again. The derby this weekend may be a bit early, but I'd love to return in time for that match.
"What has happened has happened but that part of my life is closed now. I've had a bad experience but everything is okay and I just want to look to the future."
