Daniel Agger, the Liverpool defender, will undergo season-ending surgery on Monday on the troublesome metatarsal injury that has sidelined him since September.

The Denmark international had made a comeback in the reserves this month after a prolonged period of rest designed to allow his foot to heal naturally. However, the 23-year-old has since complained of further pain and manager Rafael Benitez has accepted that the player will be unavailable for the remainder of this season.

“Daniel will have an operation on Monday. It is better to deal with the problem now so that he will be ready for next season,” said Benitez.

We have missed him because, when we were playing really well at the start of the season, he was playing with quality.”

Xabi Alonso will return against Reading after missing Liverpool’s midweek win over Inter Milan because of the birth of his first son.