Liverpool's Lucas Leiva has admitted that he feared that his playing days were over after suffering a knee injury last season.

The Brazilian midfielder damaged his anterior cruciate ligament during a League Cup tie against Chelsea in December, which ruled him out of action for several months.

Having almost completed his recovery, the 25-year-old has revealed that there were times when he struggled to come to terms with the injury.

"As soon as you get the injury you know you will be out for many months and you start to think about other things," he said.

"The most difficult period for me was when I was on crutches for two months, especially the first four weeks after the surgery when the knee was swollen."

Leiva joined the Reds in 2007 from Gremio.