It's been a long and painstaking wait for Luis Diaz on the sidelines as the winger watched Liverpool's season crumble in front of his eyes.
The Colombian star was set for a big campaign at Anfield following his electric start to his Reds career last term and the subsequent departure of Sadio Mane during the summer. Diaz has been out of action since October after sustaining a knee injury in the defeat to Arsenal, before suffering a setback during the club's Dubai training camp in December.
But his delay in getting back on the field has certainly not been down to a lack of trying, as reports from Liverpool's training ground state Diaz has left onlookers in awe at his determination to return to full fitness.
Diaz, 26, has been doing his rehabilitation away from the rest of the squad in what can often be a lonely and challenging pursuit. However, he has done everything in his powers to return as quickly as possible, as evidenced by his conduct around the club's Kirkby HQ.
As reports the Liverpool Echo, Diaz has even been coming in to train on his scheduled days off since the beginning of the year, while in the latest international break, he trained with the academy in a bid to try and regain some match sharpness.
Even fans who have been given a glimpse inside Liverpool's AXA training centre have noticed his persistent work rate and desire. According to The Echo's report, some supporters were given an unofficial tour of the facility just before Christmas, when they noticed Diaz training in the gym.
None of Liverpool's first team were due to be in attendance that day, but the fans couldn't believe their luck when they came across Diaz working hard on a rehab day.
Whilst his six-month absence has been severely felt by Liverpool, Diaz could now be involved in the matchday squad this weekend when the Reds head to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City.
Jurgen Klopp will no doubt be keen not to rush the tricky forward back too quickly and it is likely Diaz's minutes will be monitored and potentially limited between now and the end of the season - even with Liverpool chasing Champions League qualification.
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That said, Klopp will be desperate to see Diaz back out on the pitch - and if his rehab is anything to go by, he could well be ready to go quicker than Liverpool's manager would expect.
Diaz was back in training on Tuesday ahead of the clash with City, though Klopp has admitted he and the club's medical team will proceed with caution with the £50million star.
"When he’s back he will be really good and very impactful, of course," Klopp has said. "That's clear, [but] how quickly I don't know. We have to see, that’s the big challenge in these moments.
"There’s no time for being patient but you have to be patient. So, we will see, but I am positive about him, that he has a good chance to have a real impact in like 10, 11 or 12 games maybe. Let's see how long it exactly takes."
