A special pair of boots is helping speed up Daniel Agger's return to first team action, it has been revealed.

The Danish defender has been sidelined since September with a metatarsal problem and saw a planned return to action last month put on hold after he felt more discomfort in his foot.

But after working with boot manufacturers Adidas in a bid to find a solution to his ongoing problem, Agger is now back in training with his team-mates at Melwood.

"Daniel is back in training which is very good news for us," said Red boss Rafael Benitez.

"Everyone has been working very hard to find a solution to his problem and he now has a new pair of boots which we hope will make a difference.

"They have been made especially for him by Adidas and they are different from normal boots because they take some of the pressure off the metatarsal that is causing Daniel the problem when he is kicking the ball.

"It would be very good for us if Daniel can prove his fitness because he has become a very important player for us."