This time last year, Liverpool full back Fabio Aurelio was sidelined for ten weeks with a thigh injury, and with his contract ending at the end of last season, it seemed unlikely that we would see the Brazilian in the Red of Liverpool again. Many believed that the full back was just too injury prone and it was no surprise that Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez only offered the player a pay as you play deal to keep the defender at the club for another season.

Aurelio rejected the contract offer and was released by the club after a 4 year stay on Merseyside. Like most Reds fans, I was reluctant to see the player go as on his day he was both a reliable defender and had a useful left foot to cross from wide or shoot at goal from free kicks. Our defining memory of the player would have been his free kick goal in the 4-1 demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford in the 2008/09 campaign, but despite his departure, it wasn’t going to be long before he returned to Anfield.

New manager Roy Hodgson was in desperate need of a left back, and with the anticipated departure of Emiliano Insua on loan, the new Reds boss had little time or money to find a decent full back who could improve the depth in the squad. Roy decided to re-sign Aurelio on a two year deal only weeks after he had been released from the club.

Initially the signing looked to be a mistake. Nearly instantly, Aurelio got himself injured again. Against Trabzonspor in Europa League qualifying he injured his Achilles and was out for another few months. During his previous four years at the club, he had spent nearly 18 months on the treatment table and it looked as though the Brazilian was once again going to be absent for the majority of matches.

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