DANIEL AGGER has given Rafael Benitez a fitness boost ahead of Sunday’s crunch Barclays Premier League clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Denmark international has not played for Liverpool this season after he was forced to have surgery on his back early in the pre-season programme.

But after returning to full training a couple of weeks ago, he came through 68 minutes of action in the reserves’ 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the City Of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday night.

With Liverpool’s defending coming under scrutiny so far this season, including during the disappointing 2-0 Champions League defeat to Fiorentina in Florence on Tuesday, Agger’s return will provide Benitez with more defensive options.

The 24-year-old looked assured during the reserve outing and although he is unlikely to be thrown straight into the starting line-up for Sunday’s trip to the capital, he should be pushing for a place on the substitutes’ bench against Carlo Ancelotti’s second-placed side. For now, though, Agger is just glad to have been back on the pitch after his troubling time on the sidelines.

He said: “It is good to be back and it felt good to be back on the pitch again.

“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.”

He added: “I will keep working hard and do everything I can to help the team and get back in the side as soon as possible.”