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• Right-back out with knee injury since 29 December
• Torres and Benayoun returned to side at Eastlands

Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, is hopeful Glen Johnson will be fit enough to return in the next week. The England right-back has been missing since tearing the medial ligament in his right knee during the 1-0 win at Villa Park on 29 December.

No date was put on his return but with Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun making their comebacks after five weeks out injured in yesterday’s goalless draw at Manchester City, Benítez is now hopeful Johnson will soon join them.

“Yossi Benayoun is coming back, Fernando Torres is coming back, hopefully Glen Johnson will come back in the next week,” the Spaniard told liverpoolfc.tv.

Following the draw at Eastlands, Liverpool dropped to sixth in the Premier League. The Merseysiders next face Unirea Urzinceni in the Europa League on Thursday before the visit of Blackburn on Sunday.

Liverpoolguardian.co.uk