Nabil El Zhar says he hopes to put his injury hell behind him and start earning some more time on the pitch.

The Liverpool midfielder is desperate to make an impact at Anfield and is working on getting himself match fit and available for selection.

El Zhar said: "I know some fans still see my name on the programme and think, 'Nabil El Zhar - he's one of our younger players.' That's not true. If I was 18 or 19, they would have been right. But I'm 23 and approaching an important stage of my career.

"I have two main hopes when each season starts. The first is to play more games than the season before, the second is to improve as a player and a person.

"Last season was a good one for me. I played a reasonable number of games and felt a big improvement in my overall game.

"So far this year, injuries have meant that I haven't been able to even begin to reach those basic targets."