(Reuters) – England right back Glen Johnson will return to the Liverpool squad after a month’s absence for the Premier League match at home to Swansea City on Sunday, the club’s manager Brendan Rodgers said on Friday.
Johnson’s return to fitness is a boost for England manager Roy Hodgson, who names his squad on Thursday for the following week’s friendly against Denmark at Wembley.
There were fears that Johnson was in danger of missing this year’s World Cup finals in Brazil when Liverpool ruled him out for an indefinite period with niggling groin and ankle injuries last month.
But Rodgers told a news conference: He has felt as good as he has for a long time, which is great and he’ll come into the squad.
Rodgers, who was manager of Swansea before joining Liverpool in June 2012, said that the Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva was recovering very well but was not ready to play on Sunday and nor was French defender Mamadou Sakho.
Liverpool are fourth in the Premier League, four points behind the leaders Chelsea.
With 12 league games remaining, the Merseysiders have the advantage over their title rivals of not being involved in any other competitions.
(Reporting by Steve Tongue; editing by Toby Davis)