Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is confident he can return to full fitness for the first game of the Premier League season next month after an extended spell on the sidelines through injury, the midfielder has said.

The 27-year-old missed the latter stages of the last campaign after picking up a foot injury in February but returned to action last week, playing a half in each of the pre-season friendlies against Tranmere Rovers and Wigan Athletic.

"I feel good. I've got a few more weeks to build on my fitness but my body feels good," Henderson told the club website. (www.liverpoolfc.com)

"I look forward to the next few weeks and hopefully I can go from strength to strength and be ready for the first game of the season.

"I have been out for a while so I still think I've got a little bit more to go in terms of my general fitness and match fitness... Hopefully, I'll keep training and keep playing games, and that'll come."

Liverpool play their first match in the Premier League Asia Trophy against Crystal Palace in Hong Kong on Wednesday and the England international believes that winning such games will boost morale ahead of next season.

"In games, working on one or two things we need to improve on for the start of the season. The main thing is winning games and getting back into the winning mentality. I think that's the most important thing," Henderson added.

"We've only been back a short space of time but we've done a lot of work in that time with a couple of games.

"The cobwebs are gone now and we can start really pushing on in training. I'm sure we'll start to do that this week."

Liverpool open their league campaign at Watford on Aug. 12.