NEIL RICHARDS
STATS European Football Writer=
LONDON (SE) – Liverpool’s talismanic captain Steven Gerrard is
likely to return to the starting line-up as the Reds look to see
off one of the pretenders to their place among the Big Four at
Anfield on Saturday.
Sixth-placed Manchester City were the Premier League’s biggest
spenders in the summer in their quest to break into English
football’s elite, and with Chelsea, Manchester United and
Arsenal having made their expected strong starts to the season,
Liverpool’s position among the EPL powerhouses appears most
vulnerable.
A fully-fit Gerrard, however, turns a stuttering Liverpool into
a different proposition entirely. Gerrard has been bothered by a
groin problem, and although he saw limited action as a
substitute in the 2-2 draw with Birmingham on Dec. 9, the
England international says he is now firing on all cylinders.
“It took me two or three days to recover from that (Birmingham)
game but I have spent the past week doing strengthening work and
I’m feeling a lot better now,” he told Liverpool’s official
website. "I’m looking forward to the weekend. There’s no mental
hurdle to cross.
“I’ve had a problem in my groin that has taken a while to get
over but I’m just relieved the second (painkilling) injection
seems to have done the trick.
“It’s a case of so far so good and the aim now is to make sure I
get a good week’s training under my belt so I’m ready for the
game with City.”
The international break could not have come at a better time for
manager Rafa Benitez, who is also likely to be able to call upon
fit-again defenders Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson. Jamie
Carragher will also return having served a one-match ban for a
sending-off at Fulham.
“Agger had a small problem with his back but he’s training,”
Benitez said. "I think he’ll be okay for the weekend.
“Johnson has been training. Not full sessions, but training, so
hopefully he’ll be okay for the weekend too.”
Leading scorer Fernando Torres is still out with a groin injury
but strike partner David Ngog may still be available despite
breaking his nose in a training session with France’s Under-21
side and summer signing Alberto Aquilani is also in line to be
handed his first start.
Former Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry was once top of
Benitez’s wanted list and the England regular makes his first
appearance at Anfield since a surprise summer switch to
ambitious City.
“We look at blocks of fixtures in team meetings and maybe set
targets, but in training we just look at it one game at a time,”
Barry told City’s official website. “All everyone is thinking
about now is the Liverpool game and taking it from there if we
can get a good result.”
He added: “This is a very important period of the season coming
up where we need to make things happen.”
All the talk has been of Liverpool’s poor run, but City have
also been struggling in recent weeks and have failed to win any
of their last five in the league. Their last outing brought a
disappointing 3-3 at home with Burnley, a side without an away
point up to that point.
Part of their slump can be blamed upon a porous defence – City
kept clean sheets in their first three games of the season, but
have managed just one in the subsequent eight.
“We know we have to be better defensively as a team,” manager
Mark Hughes said. “I know the players and their characters and I
know we will get a response.”
A win in Saturday’s early game would take Liverpool above City
and temporarily into fourth place. A sixth league defeat in
their opening 13 matches, however, would equal their worst start
since then 1953/4 season when they eventually finished bottom
and were relegated.
City will be without Martin Petrov, who picked up a knee injury
training with Bulgaria and will be sidelined for two weeks.
Highly-rated defender Nedum Onuoha is close to a return after
being out for two months with a thigh injury.
A potential club-versus-country row was avoided when Brazil
opted not to play Robinho in friendlies against England or Oman
after being named in the South Americans’ squad despite City
insisting he was not fit to play after being out for two months
with an ankle injury.
The visitors’ last win at Anfield came on May 3 2003, when
Nicolas Anelka gained revenge on his former side with both goals
in a 2-1 win, the decisive strike coming in the last minute. It
is City’s only success in their last 18 trips to Liverpool.
The corresponding fixture last season on Feb. 22 finished 1-1,
Dirk Kuyt levelling after Alvaro Arbeloa had put through his own
net.
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