Loris Karius targets return to action after recent injury layoff

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 02 September 2016

Loris Karius is close to making a return to full fitness, but says that he will take no risks as he is made to wait for his first competitive Liverpool appearance.

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has revealed that he plans on being back to full fitness next week and is hopeful of quickly returning to his best following a recent layoff.

The 23-year-old, brought in this summer to put further pressure on Simon Mignolet in goal, has spent the opening month of the campaign on the sidelines after breaking his hand in training.

Karius returned to the training ground earlier this week for a light session, but believes that he is ready to step things up further in the coming days to potentially be fit in time for Liverpool's trip to Leicester City when Premier League action resumes.

"I don't really think I am going to need a long time to be back on my best level," he told the club's official website. "My body is there, it's ready, it's just the one hand I need to be sure of now and that it's not giving me any problems.

"I am pretty sure next week I will feel fine. Obviously I can't say 100% because I'll need to see how it is when I am in full training next week, so we'll see but I don't think it is going to be long now."

Karius's move from Mainz 05 in May is thought to have set Liverpool back around £4.7m.