Brendan Rodgers admits Jon Flanagan's Merseyside derby performance has given him food for thought with Jose Enrique ruled out of action until at least February.

Enrique has undergone an operation to cure a long-standing problem in his right knee, and will miss a minimum of 10 weeks as he recovers.

His absence presents Rodgers with something of a dilemma. The Reds boss has, in Aly Cissokho, a specialist left-back in his squad. lanagan was preferred to the Frenchman against Everton on Saturday, and repaid his manager's faith with an impressive performance.

It was just Flanagan's second appearance of the season, but Rodgers insists the 20-year-old has given himself every chance of a prolonged run in the first team.

Rodgers said: "Jon Flanagan was immense. A young kid from the city, given the chance to play in a derby game that will be on Sky Gold in about 30 years' time, and given the chance because of his desire to put himself out there every day."

Rodgers has allowed a number of Liverpool's younger players to leave the club on loan this season. Andre Wisdom, Suso, Conor Coady and Jack Robinson have all benefited from such spells, but Flanagan is unlikely to join them before Thursday's loan deadline.

"He needs to play football," Rodgers said. "But if he plays like he played today, he is going to get football.

"It's been remarkable, really, that we haven't had any clubs come in to take him on loan. We will always facilitate the wages, but we have had just one club come in for him, and that was a League One club. He's a young player that needs to play.

"There have been a couple of enquiries about him, but nothing concrete. I just felt that I needed to have him about, and in the end I needed him to play in the Arsenal game.

"He's done brilliantly, and that gives me something to think about."

Source: Liverpool Echo