Kuyt in line to make Liverpool return from injury against Chelsea

Liverpool may feel that they have turned a corner after their recent Premier League victory over Blackburn and there may be even more of a reason to be optimistic as Dirk Kuyt is close to returning from injury.

Kuyt damaged ankle ligaments while on international duty with Holland earlier this month and it was suggested that he could face up to two months on the sidelines.

However, although he is unlikely to win his race to be fit for Liverpool’s next game at Bolton, he is on track to feature in their showdown with Chelsea on November 7th.

Manager Roy Hodgson said: “Dirk Kuyt is making incredible progress. He shouldn’t be as far advanced as he is with his ankle but he’s looking good.

“I don’t think he’ll be fit for the weekend but maybe the weekend after.”

One of the main areas that Liverpool have struggled this season is scoring goals from midfield, with Kuyt and Steven Gerrard the only midfielders to have found the target in the Premier League during the opening nine games of the campaign.

Hodgson will be hoping that others begin to chip in during the trip to Bolton as a Liverpool victory will almost certainly see them climb out of the bottom three.

Liverpool are 6/5 to beat Bolton and a win would represent their fourth in succession at the Reebok Stadium in the Premier League.

Gerrard has scored in the last two of these successes and is 7/4 to score at any time within the 90 minutes again.

Bolton are still to taste defeat at home in their four Premier League games and are 23/10 to beat Liverpool, which would ensure they remain in the top half of the table.

Bolton have won just two of their last eight home games with Liverpool. See the full Bolton vs Liverpool match betting odds market.