Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani has passed a Liverpool medical and signed a five-year contract with the Merseysiders, but the former Roma player may yet be sidelined for two months as he recovers from an ankle operation.

Liverpool agreed a fee, thought to be around €20million, with Roma this week, a day immediately after they sold Xabi Alonso Real Madrid for around €33million.

Aquilani underwent a medical today but “now continue his rehabilitation from an ankle operation under the guidance of Liverpool's medical team and is expected to be fully fit in approximately 4-8 weeks time”, according to a statement on the Liverpool website.

The Italian is expected to be at Anfield on Saturday to witness his new team-mates take on Atletico Madrid in the club's final pre-season friendly before next weekend's big kick-off against Tottenham.