Daniel Agger is making “good progress” on his calf injury and could return to the Liverpool side for the festive fixture period.
With Jamie Carragher also out injured, Roy Hodgson is running out of experienced options at centre-back and will welcome Agger’s return.
The Danish international has been out of action since September, but has been training again recently.
Hodgson told the club’s official web site, “Agger is making good progress but he is not training with the team yet and is under the control of the sports science team.
“He is running in straight lines and his work-rate and effort has been first class so it is now a case of when do we take the chance and say let’s stick him in again.”
