Injury Update 09/10/09

As promised, today's injury news from over on football365.com...

Fernando Torres may be okay despite limping out of Spain training on Wednesday but Rafa Benitez is rather worried about Daniel Agger, who is away with Denmark despite only playing for Liverpool's reserves this season after suffering a back injury in pre-season.

"It was a difficult decision to bring Agger back into the squad because he wasn't fit enough to start at Chelsea," Benitez told Liverpool's official website.

"He played 68 minutes for the reserve team so we were trying to protect him and have him on the bench just in case we needed him.

"He is now with Denmark and hopefully they will be careful with him. They have to be sensible and also the player knows it will be tough for him to play both games in a row.

"It's good for him because he needs to play, but we have to be careful and they have to be careful too."

Across Stanley Park, the news is that Mikel Arteta is still in line for a comeback this side of Christmas despite a slight setback last month when he had surgery to repair stitches inside the knee that suffered ligament damage in February.

"The stitches coming out was a big psychological blow for Mikel because he tried so hard to come back as soon as possible," physio Mick Rathbone said in the Liverpool Daily Post.

"He was putting so many hours in every single day but there was just some bad luck. Sometimes, though, that is nature's way of telling you to slow down a bit.

"Mikel looks good now and everything is going well so let's just call what happened a minor blip.

"He is still on a decent schedule, he is now seven months along and it is only a minor setback."

Manager David Moyes is hopeful of both Arteta and Phil Jagielka making a return within the next six weeks.

Moyes said: "I think November-ish is when we are looking at getting them back in. Phil Jagielka is doing well and we would probably think about November with some luck - and Mikel is about the same."

News we forgot to bring you yesterday was that Wolves striker Chris Iwelumo completed 90 minutes for Wolves reserves on Wednesday night against Aston Villa after missing the start of the season with a metatarsal fracture.

Also playing in that game was Villa defender Wilfred Bouma, who has been out of action for 14 months.

"My last 90 minutes were six months ago with the reserves, then I had another couple of 90 minutes but it didn't feel right," said Bouma. "Then I had to go back for another operation. I'm just glad to be back out there playing 90 minutes without any pain on the ankle.

"It's now just getting into it again. I feel everything is coming back which is a wonderful feeling.

"You think because you suffered such a horrible injury you will have some discomfort but before it was more than discomfort. You can cope with that but not with pain. It looks really well now so I feel very positive."

Cheers,
AM