Lucas Leiva fitness latest
Lucas Leiva has revealed his delight at the progress he's making in his rehabilitation towards a return to action next season.
The Brazil midfielder sustained an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in November that required surgery and subsequently ruled him out for the remainder of 2011-12.
Lucas returned to Melwood at the start of the year and while he admits there is still a long way to go before he regains full fitness, he's pleased with how his recovery has gone so far.
He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It's going well. The knee has responded very well after surgery.
"There's still a long way to go, but everything is going as planned and the doctors are very happy with my progress."
Since returning to Merseyside in January, Lucas has attended every Liverpool home game and cheered on his teammates from the stands.
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 teammates a positive message and help in anyway 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 teammates."
While Lucas has been supporting his colleagues, he hasn't been short of well-wishers himself.
He admits the messages he has received have helped keep his spirits up.
"It's been a mix of everything - supporters, teammates, doctors and my family," said Lucas.
"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."