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• City spend £9.7m in a total of £71.8m for 2010-11
• Total is highest since spending was published in 2008

Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool were the top spenders on agents’ fees last year as the top-flight clubs spent a total of £71.8m, latest figures have revealed.

City, unsurprisingly, topped the payments table with £9.7m paid to agents, followed by Spurs on £7.6m, then Liverpool on £7m.

The total in the top flight of £71.8m is the highest since the Premier League decided in 2008 to publish club-by-club spending on agents – in 2009 it was £70.7m.

The three lowest spenders included two promoted sides Swansea City (£248,000) and Norwich City (£710,00), with Wigan Athletic having spent £659,000.

The amounts shown include payments made by clubs on behalf of players.

Club-by-club spending on agents’ fees between 1 October 2010 and 30 September 2011

Manchester City £9.7m; Tottenham Hotspur £7.6m; Liverpool £7m; Chelsea £6.5m; Newcastle United £6.3m; Arsenal £4.6m; Manchester United £4.5m; Blackburn £4.2m; Sunderland £3.7m; Aston Villa £3.2m; Everton £2.9m; Queens Park Rangers £2.5m; Stoke City £2.2m; Bolton Wanderers £1.9m; West Bromwich Albion £1.3m; Wolverhampton Wanderers £1.1m; Fulham £0.9m; Norwich City £0.7m; Wigan Athletic £0.66m; Swansea City £0.24m.

Premier League 2011-12Manchester CityTottenham HotspurLiverpoolPremier LeagueBusinessguardian.co.uk

• Captain has undergone treatment to combat infection
• Midfielder will miss Swansea game and two England friendlies

Liverpool hope rest for Steven Gerrard during the upcoming international break will cure an infection in their captain’s right ankle.

Gerrard, who had only recently returned to fitness after a six-month absence caused by a groin problem, missed the victory at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and was subsequently pictured with his leg in a cast. The midfielder has now been ruled out of England’s friendly matches against Spain and Sweden.

A Liverpool statement said: “Steven Gerrard has now undergone treatment to clear out all infection from his right ankle, which has been placed in a protective plaster cast.

“The player will not be available for this weekend’s game against Swansea City or for the upcoming England friendlies against Spain and Sweden. Steven will now continue his rehabilitation programme under the guidance of the club’s medical staff.”

Liverpool have not specified when they hope the 31-year-old can play again. The club’s clear wish is that no infection returns to the area which was initially caused by an apparently innocuous cut during training.

Dr Kal Parmar, a sports medicine specialist with the Pure Sports Clinic, believes Gerrard’s recovery should be relatively straightforward.

“I have read about the case and it is unusual for something like this simply to happen from a cut,” Dr Parmar said. “I think Steven has been unlucky for the injury to come about in this way.

“It sounds as though the cut has become infected and that has got into the ankle joint. From there, the joint would be washed out in a minor surgical procedure. There should be no complications from there, it is easily treated.

“The cast is put in place to prevent any infection from spreading. He should be fine; you have to keep on top of the cut, keep it clean and he will probably still be on some kind of antibiotics. But he should be back within the next week or two, I would have thought.”

Steven GerrardLiverpoolEwan Murrayguardian.co.uk

• Injured duo missed Saturday’s win over West Bromwich
• ‘We’ve got lads who can step in when needed and do a job’

The Liverpool striker Andy Carroll believes the team have shown they are better placed to cope without the services of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

The experienced pair were absent for Saturday’s 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion and although Carragher’s calf problem is unlikely to keep him out for long, the extent of the problem with Gerrard’s infected right ankle has yet to be determined. Liverpool’s captain is likely to find out in the next 24 hours what course of action needs to be taken to return him to full fitness.

Carroll, a £35m January signing, has had to play virtually all of his short Anfield career without Gerrard – who was sidelined for six months in March after a groin operation. In fact, with Carroll’s injury problems delaying his debut last season, the pair have been on the pitch together in just four matches. And Gerrard, Carroll and Luis Suárez, the new focal point of Liverpool’s attacking options, have never started a match together.

“It was tough not having Stevie or Carra in the squad,” Carroll said. “They are great players and we need them in the team once they’ve got over their little niggles. But we have fantastic players that can come in. The game showed we’ve got lads who can step in when needed and do a job. We showed what we can do. We passed it around well and deserved the three points.”

On his developing partnership with Suárez, Carroll told the Liverpool Echo: “Luis is a great player who works so hard for the team and it’s nice to have him up top with me. Luis drops off, gets the ball into his feet, can dribble with it and slip people in.

“I couldn’t name a better player in the Premier League than Luis. He’s fantastic to have in the squad. He makes chances and scores goals himself, so he’s a great all-round player and he showed that again. Luis makes it easy playing alongside him. I think we played well together and hopefully that will carry on.”

Carroll’s start to his Liverpool career has not been as straightforward as the club’s record signing would have liked, as fitness affected his early progress and he has yet to secure a regular place in the starting line-up this season.

“I’ve been disappointed to be sat on the bench,” he added. “But when you are left out it just makes you work harder the next day in training to get your place back. We have a big squad, players come and go every week. It was a different XI at West Brom compared to the previous week and the week before that.

“Everyone is fighting hard in training for a place. I’ve been working hard every day to get my fitness up and to try to get a place in the team and I think I earned it. We will have to see what happens next weekend. I want to get my name in the starting XI every week.”

Meanwhile, the defender Jack Robinson has signed a new long-term contract having earned a place in the first-team squad over the past six months. The 18-year-old left-back was drafted in by Kenny Dalglish towards the end of last season and has now made five appearances.

“I’m delighted,” Robinson said. “There was no doubt in my mind, I was just so excited the club were offering me a contract. I’ve just got to keep working hard in training. I can’t just sit back on this contract. I’ve got to keep improving and showing people what I’m about.”

LiverpoolAndy Carrollguardian.co.uk