Agger says It's good to be back

Daniel Agger could figure in Sundays game against Chelsea following after coming through sixty minutes with the reserves on Tuesday night. Goals from David Ngog and Steven Irwin gave the young Reds a 2-0 win over Manchester City and Agger is glad to be back.

"It is good to be back and it felt good to be back on the pitch again," Agger told the official site.

"It is always frustrating when you are out injured and can't play football, so to get back out there again was great.

"I knew in pre-season that my back wasn't right so I had to get the problem sorted. I set myself the target to be back around this time and so I'm happy.

"I will keep working hard and do everything I can to help the team and get back in the side as soon as possible."

"I enjoyed it and I think everybody did well and we had a good mentality out there," added Agger.

Daniel Agger to fly to France for back operation

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger requires surgery on a persistent back problem that has blighted the new Premiership campaign. His "injury has not responded to treatment" and "following a further visit to a specialist, the 24-year-old has been booked in for an operation next week," reports the Guardian.

The Danish centre-back has been troubled by the problem since March and has now travelled to France for the operation. Agger could face "a lengthy rehabilitation programme and is unlikely to be back in action before November," says the Echo.

"The operation is likely to sideline the Danish international for up to six weeks," reports Sky Sports news or "several months," says the Guardian keen to cast a dark cloud over the Anfield club.

Benitez eases injury crisis fears

Most of today's papers are running with the story that Liverpool are in the middle of a defence crisis. It's true that Agger and Skrtel are recovering from injury and Jamie Carragher was taken off during the Atletico Madrid match on Saturday, however the Reds manager has played down the scare tactics from the press. Carragher he explains, was taken off as a precautionary measure and Skrtel and Agger are making quick recoveries. Incredibly most papers are quoting Rafa's comments below under the Rafa faces 'Injury Crisis' headline.

Benitez said: "Jamie's injury is not serious, just a twisted ankle. But with our injury problems which include Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel, we felt we needed to take him off as a precaution, just in case," reports the Telegraph.

"We will keep an eye on him for two or three days to see how he reacts, but I feel he will be OK. Hopefully, Agger or Skrtel will be fit too."

"Agger has a back problem, and that should be OK in a couple of days. Skrtel is nearly over his hamstring injury, he's nearly there.”

"He is training again and I believe that at the end of this week both of them will be fit to play.”

Fernando Torres was also taken off as a precautionary measure on Saturday but Benitez believes it is not serious:

"I do not believe that the injury to Fernando Torres is anything serious, he had an ankle problem but it was a minor one and he also came off as a precaution."

The newspapers may interpret this quote as: Benitez injury HELL!!: 'Torres's legs fall off!'

Agger admits it would have been a mistake to leave Reds

Daniel Agger has acknowledged that it would have been a serious error to leave Liverpool, had he rejected the clubs offer of a new contract says today’s Guardian. “The Denmark international ended months of uncertainty over his future recently when he agreed terms on a new five-year contract with Liverpool, one that will replace the final 12 months of his existing deal and keep him at Anfield until 2014 on an improved salary of around £55,000 a week.”

The article goes on to say that “Agger had been reluctant to commit his future to Liverpool due in part to a lack of first-team starts under Rafael Benítez since returning from a series of metatarsal fractures, with Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel the manager's preferred partnership in central defence this season, and his agent held talks with the likes of Milan over the possibility of a cut-price move under the "Webster ruling" this summer. Now, however, with his deal agreed although unsigned, and Liverpool emerging as genuine rivals to Manchester United in the Premier League, the 24-year-old admits it would have been unwise to leave a club on an upward curve.”

"I've agreed a contract, the manager has agreed a new contract, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and some other players are all agreeing contracts so I think this shows you that within the club there is a real sense that we are building towards something special," said Agger

Agger agrees new deal

Daniel Agger has agreed a new four year deal that will keep the defender at the club until 2014. Manager Rafael Benitez told the club's website, "This is extremely good news for Liverpool moving forward and demonstrates our intention to build on the progress we have already made this season. Daniel is still young, but with great quality and will be a very important player for us in the years ahead. I'm sure there were many other clubs monitoring the situation closely, but throughout our discussions, Daniel made it clear that he wanted to stay at Liverpool and achieve success here."

"I'm delighted we've secured his future at Anfield."

Agger close to new deal

Daniel Agger is apparently close to signing a new deal at Anfield. "It is very close," confirmed Benitez today. "We are just waiting on the small details but it is nearly done. We have to wait a little bit longer but we are very close”. "He is very happy here and I have always supported him. Hopefully it will be done." I’m glad this deal appears to be close to completion. Carragher is not getting any younger and Agger has definitely got the ability and potential to become a great player for the reds