JAMIE CARRAGHER is hoping his recent injury lay-off will allow him to finish the season stronger, starting against Manchester United on Sunday.

The Liverpool vice-captain missed two months of the campaign after dislocating a shoulder against Tottenham in November, but says he is now back to full fitness, and says the break from action could even work in his favour, as the Reds’ season heads into a critical phase.

“You have to look at the positives of an injury in that it gives you a rest and takes you out of the firing line,” said Carragher.

“Maybe you can look back and say ‘It’s done me good’ – but I’d much rather be playing!

“You don’t want to be out but sometimes you try to put a silver lining on it and try to kid yourself in your own head because you are devastated when you get injured.

“Any injury comes at a bad time but there were a lot of games when I was injured because it was over Christmas.

“But it has happened now. I have been very lucky with injuries throughout my career and hopefully there won’t be too many more.

“Maybe the rest will prove between now and the end of the season that it has helped me.”

Carragher returned to action in the 1-0 win at Chelsea in February, almost a month ahead of schedule. But having turned 33 earlier this year, he is acutely aware of the need to manage his fitness sensibly, though he admits his desire to get back playing meant his surgeon, Peter Brownson, had to calm him down on occasion.

“You get more mature and have an understanding of how your body works and it is a short career so you have to maximise it as much as possible,” he said.

“Fitness was drummed into me when I was growing up and as you get older that becomes more apparent and you have to look after yourself.

“Once you reach 30 people start questioning your fitness or whether you have lost your ability and teams start looking for younger players so you have to look at the fitness side of it.

“The way the medical science side of the game is going now everything is a race to get back as quickly as possible because you want to be on the pitch.

“When you are playing football you have targets and games to think about but when you are injured you lose that and your focus becomes getting back as quick as possible, that becomes your target.

“It was my nature to push to come back but there was no way Mr Brownson would have let me come back if it had not been right.”

Carragher missed Liverpool’s last clash with Manchester United, an FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford back in January, but will line up against Alex Ferguson’s Premier League leaders at Anfield tomorrow.

Reds boss Kenny Dalglish expects to have Fabio Aurelio (adductor), Raul Meireles (knee), Daniel Agger (leg) and Sotirios Kyrgiakos (head) all available, and will make a late decision on whether to use club record signing Andy Carroll in his squad.

The £35m striker has not featured competitively since December, having sustained a thigh injury whilst at former club Newcastle, but returned to full training this week, and is desperate to make his belated Reds bow.

Meanwhile, Portugal midfielder Meireles is celebrating today, after being named the ESPN PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for February.

The 27-year-old has been in sparkling form for the Reds of late, scoring three times in four Premier League games. His haul includes crucial strikes against Stoke, Chelsea and Wigan, and ensured saw off the likes of Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov to clinch the award.

“Raul has always had the ability he has shown recently,” says Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish.

“Maybe he’s settled down a little bit and is more comfortable and confident because he is playing well. It is fantastic to see Raul doing so well.

“He has always been a talented footballer, he’s always had what we are seeing now but it’s been trying to get it out and it is coming out now and he’s scoring goals.”