Lucas Leiva has said he is taking his Liverpool future "day by day" amid uncertainty over whether he will still be at the club after the transfer window.
Lucas, 30, scored his first goal since September 2010 to secure an FA Cup third round replay victory against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Wednesday.
The Brazilian, who can play in either midfield or defence, is out of contract in the summer and could leave 10 years after arriving from Gremio, although boss Jurgen Klopp has said he expects him to stay.
Lucas, who rejected a move to Inter Milan earlier this month, said: "If, by the end of January, I am here, it will be great. This is the best place for me to be right now.
"But I cannot tell you in two months, four months or one year. I have to think about my future. But it is all good. I am happy in this moment and I just have to go day by day.
"I had a few options to go. I have to think about my long term as I know I don't have many years left here. I have to start to think about it."
Lucas overcame a knee injury to captain Jurgen Klopp's young team against League Two promotion-chasers Plymouth.
But having been fit for the majority of the season, he has had to accept a reduced role in the starting XI and said that had been tough to accept at times.
"I have always been very honest in terms of the trust with the manager," Lucas said. "And Liverpool is a place I love, there is no doubt about that.
"But this is more about thinking about my future as well. Game time, things like this. I have to deal with it.
"The manager and I have a fantastic relationship. I have learned a lot from him and he is someone I appreciate working with. It is not just in terms of football -- I am learning from him as a man."
With Klopp determined to rotate his squad to ensure his players are fresh for the title run-in, Lucas may feature against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup fourth round -- if he is still at Anfield.
"I know how much the FA Cup means in this country and how important it is to this club," he said.
"Of course I want to play in the Premier League every week, but it's important to play well when you get the chance.
"I lead the team as captain with a lot of young players, so of course I wanted to play at Plymouth. It was a difficult game, but it was a good experience for the young players.
"We have to improve, that is clear. But the main thing is to get through to the next round and we did that."