Luis Suarez "working his socks off" as he prepares for his return

Luis Suarez with Columbia’s Radamel Falcao during the World Cup qualifier

Liverpool boss Brenden Rodgers has confessed that striker Luis Suarez is “working his socks off” as he prepares to return for Liverpool in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup clash against rivals Manchester United. Sky Sports reports.

The 26-year-old was imposed with a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branslav Ivanovic last season and will make his first start for the Reds this season against Manchester United.

The Uruguayan international has been granted permission to play for his country in the World Cup qualifying matches and his Liverpool manager Brenden Rodgers says that Suarez is raring to play for the club again.

The striker recently played the full duration of a friendly match against Burnley.

“We have been organising some games behind closed doors, both in terms of in-house 11-a-side matches and bringing teams in,” Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.

“In between that he has had international games as well to keep him ticking over. He has been doing a lot of individual work, specific to him on top of all that and replicating his high intensity speed runs that he would do in a game.

“It is not the same as playing in a match but say he did 100 high intensity runs in a game, he has been replicating that in training so that he is at a level where we hope he will hit the ground running.

“There are always other things in a game – the crowd and the anxiety you cannot replicate that in training – but what you can at least do is get him to a level of fitness so that his numbers are replicated and that keeps him at a high level.

“The idea is that hopefully when he steps back in it will be seamless. Of course there will be a transitional period for him but I am really looking forward to having him back.

“He is working his socks off. At the end of sessions, he is having extra work tagged on relative to him and his position. He is flushing himself out to the maximum to be as fit as he possibly can.”

The controversial forward had previously been banned for racial comments against Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.