Friday 2 September 2016 12:40, UK
Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation from a broken hand and set for a return to full training next week.
Karius, who signed from Mainz for £4.7m over the summer, sustained the injury in July during a friendly against Chelsea in Pasadena.
The goalkeeper was initially ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a fractured hand, but the 23-year-old could be in competitive action for his new club sooner than had been expected.
"I had surgery on Wednesday, so now the wires (the support that had been placed in his broken hand) have been removed that they put in four weeks ago," Karius said. "Now the fracture has healed, hopefully I can start training and build it up.
"I just need to see how it feels. But I can now start using my hands and catch balls. It's up to me now, basically.
"We're ahead of schedule because in total it's been about five weeks I think,but I don't want to rush it too much. Now I am in the last stages, I just want to feel good and confident about it, that it's all done.
"I am not going to rush it because of two or three days, but if I feel good then maybe I will be back way sooner than expected."
Despite his injury, Karius has been working hard at Liverpool's Melwood training ground with goalkeeping coach John Achterberg.
"I don't really think I am going to need a long time to be back on my best level," the goalkeeper added. "My body is there, it's ready, it's just the one hand I need to be sure of now and that it's not giving me any problems.
"I am pretty sure next week I will feel fine. Obviously I can't say 100 per cent because I'll need to see how it is when I am in full training next week, so we'll see, but I don't think it is going to be long now."
