Watch Liverpool

Posts Tagged ‘during-the-last’

• Kuyt could be named in Saturday’s squad to face Sunderland
• Forward picked up shoulder injury on international duty

Liverpool have been boosted by the news that Dirk Kuyt could return earlier than expected from injury.

The 30-year-old damaged shoulder ligaments during the last international break, with the Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson fearing he would be out for more than a month.

However, Hodgson now believes the Dutch forward could be selected in Saturday’s squad to face Sunderland, or feature in next week’s Europa League trip to Kuyt’s former club Utrecht.

“Dirk has trained the last couple of days,” said Hodgson. “We’re trying to protect him a little bit but he’s made a remarkable recovery, so it’ll be interesting to see how he progresses on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in relation to Saturday’s game and the game next Thursday.”

He added: “We thought three to five weeks, so we’re at the quick end of the scale.”

Liverpoolguardian.co.uk

• Israeli believed to have finalised four-year contract
• Fee yet to be agreed between clubs

Yossi Benayoun has, according to reports, agreed to join Chelsea on a four-year contract from Liverpool, although it is believed that both clubs have yet to agree a fee.

Chelsea have reportedly been pursuing the Israeli international for some time and see him as an ideal replacement for Joe Cole, who will leave the club next month after failing to agree terms on an extension to his deal at Stamford Bridge.

Benayoun has been a moderate success at Liverpool since joining for £5m in July 2007 but is believed to have fallen out with the former manager Rafael Benítez during the last campaign and has been looking to leave Anfield ever since.

According to the Israeli Sport 5 website, the 30-year-old has finalised personal terms with the Premier League champions, but the move is far from completed. Chelsea, it is believed, do not want to spend more than £4m on the player while Liverpool want closer to £10m.

Liverpool are currently without a manager following the departure of Benítez earlier this month and it is also possible that his replacement, widely expected to be Roy Hodgson, could demand that Benayoun remains at the club. It is likely, though, that a compromise will be reached shortly that will see the former West Ham player return to London.

LiverpoolChelseaTransfer windowSachin Nakraniguardian.co.uk