Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is convinced that Adam Lallana (left) will go to the World Cup
However, Klopp has been eager to assure Lallana about his prospects for club and country.
'He will be an England starting player again for sure,' said the Anfield boss ahead of Monday night's game at Swansea.
'If Mr Southgate can afford to leave Adam Lallana out of his World Cup squad, then I can already congratulate on winning the World Cup because I can't imagine how strong your squad is.
'Adam was out for half a season and he requires all his physical strength, like every player. But we need him. Really need him for the rest of the season. He is really close to being 100 per cent.
'So far, he's played with all the genius moments, very decisive moments, you could see that he really feels the intensity. He had a big muscle injury so we can not push him through, and say "Come on, try it again, try it again". That is impossible.'
Lallana is one of the players entrusted by Klopp to ensure Philippe Coutinho won't be missed following his move to Barcelona with Liverpool reluctant to sign a like-for-like replacement for the Brazilian.sbobet222
With the club still in the Champions League and FA Cup besides fighting for a top-four finish, Klopp has no doubts the energy Lallana brings to the team will see him play a big role in the coming months.
'He is still building up that fitness level in a very good way. It already looks massively different to how it was three or four weeks ago when he was already match fit but not 100 per cent fit. It's one of the best bits of news we've had that he is back.
'He can play 90 minutes but fitness is also about how you recover from that. If you need one day, it's OK. Two days is often too long for us because we are playing every three days.'
Klopp is buoyed by the response Liverpool have shown to the sale of Coutinho. Last weekend's thrilling 4-3 win against Manchester City not only ended Pep Guardiola's unbeaten league record this season, it stretched Liverpool's own run to 18 games without defeat in all competitions.
Midfielder Lallana, 29, has only started one Premier League game since returning from injury
With Coutinho gone, Klopp is convinced all his key players want to stay and can't envisage a situation where any of them would want to join a Big Six rival, like Alexis Sanchez and Manchester United.
'No Liverpool player in this squad would leave for any other Premier League club during the season. Not because we say it, but because of their commitment to the club. I'm not just confident, I know it,' he said.
'It's how I see the commitment of the players. We've not been together for 10 years or so. It's still all fresh and the development is in the right direction. I know it's far away from being perfect but it's in a good way.
'We have to make sure that it doesn't happen often that a player wants to leave the club even when we want to keep him.
'You asked me about Liverpool, I can't see any player at this moment in this moment who would do it. It nothing to do with Alexis Sanchez, no criticism for him.
'He is a fantastic player and obviously he wanted to leave since the summer. That was more like it was with Phil and us, not like it is now with players from this squad who wants to leave for another club, a (Big) Six club. I can't see it with this squad.
'I don't have a contract with them about it that says they will never do that, but it is just my feeling.'
Liverpool are willing to lose striker Daniel Sturridge in the January window but he is likely to move abroad with Inter Milan the clear favourites. Klopp has planned for Sturridge's impending departure by blocking potential loan moves for Danny Ings and Ben Woodburn.show more click here