Hodgson happy with reduced injuries

Liverpool's manager Roy Hodgson smiles before their English Premier League soccer match against Chelsea at Anfield in Liverpool, northern England, November 7, 2010. REUTERS/Phil Noble (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT SOCCER HEADSHOT) NO ONLINE/INTERNET USAGE WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIES PLEASE TELEPHONE ++44 (0)

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has praised the work of the club’s medical team in reducing “soft-tissue” injuries this season.

At the moment Daniel Agger, Jay Spearing and Steven Gerrard are all sidelined – with Joe Cole expected to return to action this weekend, but Hodgson believes Liverpool will benefit from the way several other players have bounced back to action this season.

He told the club’s official web site, “You’ve got to pay credit to the medical team. With Steven the muscle injury was not one provoked by us. Daniel’s is an unusual injury which could have come at any time and Jay Spearing was unfortunate in that he fell awkwardly – that could have happened at any time.

“The medical staff have done extremely well with the soft-tissue injuries and we’re suffering, touch wood, from very few of those pulls or strains.

“Credit to the players – they’re buying into the ideas and all the work we do to prevent injuries at the start of every day. It’s relatively time consuming but they’ve bought into it well and it seems to be paying off.”