Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe hopes to return from injury this season

Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe claims he is hopeful of returning to action before the end of the current Premier League campaign.

Ibe, 19, has missed five straight games with damaged knee ligaments sustained during the Europa League last 32 second-leg defeat to Besiktas in late February.

Such an injury threatened to derail the impressive progress made by the player since he was recalled from a highly successful loan spell with Championship promotion hopefuls Derby County earlier this year, yet he remains hopeful that he can mount a successful comeback ahead of schedule.

"Yes, hopefully," Ibe was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo when asked if he anticipated playing again before the season draws to a close.

"They (Liverpool) have not said anything to me yet but if I can just keep doing my rehab in the gym and in the swimming pool I can get back to training quickly. It was the ligament on the side of my knee and they said I could be out for six to eight weeks, but everything has gone smoothly from here and hopefully I can crack on now and get back in action.

"Things happen for a reason so hopefully I can just learn from this, build up the strength in my knee and come back stronger and hopefully be even better."

England youth international Ibe made 20 appearances in the second tier with Derby earlier this season, netting five goals and producing several impressive performances that led Rams manager Steve McClaren to dub him as "phenomenal".

Brendan Rodgers rewarded him for such fine form with a regular run in the Liverpool team and while Ibe did not score or provide any assists during his five outings for his parent club, he did enough to prove that he is certainly not out of his depth at the top level.

Liverpool have nine games left to play this term, with the potential for two more if they can successfully negotiate an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on April 8.

Rodgers' side, who put together a streak of 13 unbeaten top-flight games prior to last weekend's defeat to Manchester United, currently sit fifth in the Premier League ahead of their upcoming visit to Arsenal.

That aforementioned loss left them five points adrift of the top four and Liverpool will now have to rely upon their rivals slipping up between now and May if they are to secure Champions League qualification for the second consecutive year.