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Martin Kelly’s progress in the first team has suffered due to multiple injury layoffs in his short senior career thus far, but the defender feels confident he can win a place in the side upon his return.
"It's always good at any club to have competition for places," he said. "Whether you are looking to take someone's place, or you are looking behind at someone who is pushing for yours, it's always a great thing to have. It helps you progress as a player.
"Once I'm fit, if I just keep working and stay injury free, my game can progress really well and I can be dangerous as a full-back and a centre-back."
It’s Kelly’s previous experience as a centre back in Liverpool’s youth system that had many touting him as the club’s choice CB of the future, long before Liverpool’s current central defense options became worryingly uncertain. With Jamie Carragher retiring at the end of the season, Martin Skrtel out of favour and allegedly on the outs with skipper Brendan Rodgers, and Sebastian Coates seeing very little meaningful first team action this year, the question of who may pair Daniel Agger on the back line next season is still very much up in the air.
No date has been set for Kelly’s return yet.
In other news, Liverpool’s other young player with no manner of injury luck has self-reported some good progress of his own. Fabio Borini took to Twitter to announce that the surgery to mend the dislocated shoulder he acquired during the 5-0 win against Swansea had gone well.
There is no word yet on whether Borini will also require surgery on his foot, as had been rumoured after the Swansea match.#cattolica#shoulder...all went very well!!! :):) twitter.com/borinifabio29/…
— fabio borini (@borinifabio29) February 23, 2013