Lucas Leiva has admitted it has been a frustrating period on the sidelines but is pleased with how his recovery from knee surgery is going.
Brazilian admits there is still a long way to go in Reds recovery
Lucas Leiva has admitted it has been a frustrating period on the sidelines and says there is still a long way to go in his recovery from knee surgery, but doctors are happy with his progress.
Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in November and spent some time back in his homeland before returning to Melwood at the start of the year.
He revealed last month that he was hopeful of being back in action for the start of next season and his rehabilitation is continuing to run smoothly.
"It's going well. The knee has responded very well after surgery," Lucas told the club's
official website.
"There's still a long way to go, but everything is going as planned and the doctors are very happy with my progress."
Support
While it has been difficult to miss out on such a lot of playing time, Lucas has tried to stay in positive spirits and has attended every match at Anfield since coming back to England.
The 25-year-old added: "At the home games, I am always involved. I haven't missed one. It's important.
"On a daily basis here at Melwood, I think it's important to be around and try to send my team-mates a positive message and help in any way I can - and I am always there at Anfield to support them.
"It's my first injury since I came to Liverpool, so it's a bit frustrating because I would like to be on the pitch and help my team-mates."
Lucas has also been touched by the support that has been shown to him in his recovery.
"It's been a mix of everything - supporters, team-mates, doctors and my family," he said.
"Everyone has pulled together and it's made a big difference for me. The messages I have received, especially on Twitter, have been very good and they keep me positive and strong to recover."
