Watch Liverpool

Posts Tagged ‘martin-skrtel’

Tottenham imposed a vice-like grip on the game by setting a fast tempo from the start which left Liverpool bewildered

Starting sluggishly, Liverpool were penned back by an excellent performance from Tottenham Hotspur. They passed the ball with speed and the visitors found the energetic and intelligent movement bewildering. Most importantly, Spurs’ early pressing was

• Glen Johnson suffered hamstring injury against Valencia
• He joins Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel on the sidelines

Liverpool have lost another senior player for the start of the new Premier League season after scans revealed Glen Johnson suffered a hamstring strain against Valencia on Saturday.

The England defender pulled up seven minutes into the Anfield friendly and, with Fabio Capello watching from the stands, was not considered for Wednesday’s international with Holland at Wembley. A scan on Sunday confirmed Johnson had suffered a hamstring strain and he is expected to be out for up to a fortnight, keeping him out of Saturday’s opener at home to Sunderland and possibly the trip to Arsenal next weekend.

Kenny Dalglish will now be without three senior players against Sunderland with Johnson joining Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel on the sidelines. Liverpool’s captain is currently recovering from an infection related to the groin operation he underwent in March while Skrtel has a calf problem, although the Slovakian defender has stepped up his rehabilitation in recent days.

LiverpoolAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Steven Gerrard unlikely to be fit for Europa Cup match
• Liverpool could include Martin Skrtel and Martin Kelly

The Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, is unlikely to return for Thursday’s Europa League last-32 second-leg match against Sparta Prague.

Gerrard has missed the last two games with a groin injury and, although not ruled out of the Czech club’s visit to Anfield, is more likely to return at West Ham United on Sunday.

Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool manager, said: “Much as Steven would love to play and we’d love to have him, I think we’ve got to think a bit longer term than just one game. But if he’s fit and well, he’ll come under consideration like everybody else.

“I think it’s important we adopt the same philosophy as we’ve had before with the likes of Jay Spearing, who could have carried on a little bit longer with his injury but we wanted to get it done and dusted and get him looked after.”

The defender Daniel Agger (adductor) and midfielder Jay Spearing (foot) are both back in contention but the full-back Fabio Aurelio (adductor) and striker Luis Suárez (ineligible) are out.

Martin Kelly and Martin Skrtel could return after being left out of the starting line-up for the first leg last week but Dalglish has played down suggestions that Andy Carroll’s debut is imminent.The striker is making good progress in his recovery from a thigh problem but no target date for him to play has been earmarked.

Liverpool team to play Sparta Prague: (from) Reina, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Wilson, Agger, Skrtel, Kelly, Johnson, Rodriguez, Meireles, Lucas, Gerrard, Cole, Spearing, Kuyt, Ngog, Pacheco, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Gulacsi.

LiverpoolSteven GerrardEuropa Leagueguardian.co.uk