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Uruguayan had to wait while his manager focuses on rehabilitating the £35m striker

The masks were ready, the T-Shirts were on sale again outside Anfield and Liverpool prepared to make up for lost time with Luis Suárez on his first appearance since commencing a nine-match Football Association ban last year for improper conduct and racially abusing Patrice Evra. Then the team-sheets landed and changed the script from the rehabilitation of the Uruguay international to that of Andy Carroll. It is a process the former Newcastle United man, at least, has seized

Suárez being Suárez, he found a central role in the only controversy of an incident-lacking draw against Tottenham Hotspur with a kick into the chest of Scott Parker, a foul more clumsy that malicious and which earned a yellow card from referee Michael Oliver four minutes after he had taken to the field. He also squandered a glorious chance to win the game late on when he planted a free header from a Steven Gerrard free-kick straight into the grateful arms of Brad Friedel.

There were similar frustrations for Carroll as he wasted a clear opening from Martin Kelly’s cross and headed just over in the closing stages. But given the starting point in his Liverpool career when Suárez last started a game on Boxing Day, and his all-round contribution against Spurs, another encouraging display from Carroll augured well for Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool challenge on three fronts.

There is no disputing Suárez’s pre-eminent position among Liverpool strikers this season but Dalglish was justified in not granting special dispensation to the Uruguayan after he had spent exactly six weeks stewing on the sidelines. Like any other player, Suárez had to earn the right to win back his place and not one among Carroll, Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy deserved to make way for Liverpool’s headline-maker-in-chief, the focus of the television cameramen as soon as he entered the pitch for the substitutes’ warm-up.

A little over two weeks ago, when a 3-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers prompted a withering condemnation from their manager, it appeared the loss of Suárez had hurt Liverpool as gravely as they feared when his eight-match suspension began and that a return to the starting line-up would be automatic. Only Bellamy had shown form worthy of a side with aspirations of qualifying for the Champions League but, belatedly, Carroll and Kuyt made crucial contributions to a response that ended Manchester’s interest in domestic cup competition for the season, revived Liverpool’s campaign and maintained that form in the comfortable win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Tuesday when all three featured on the score-sheet.

Even so, it would have come as a relief to Carroll to retain the faith of his manager and it was an important call from Dalglish to persist with the £35m striker despite the availability of Suárez. Being a young, strapping centre-forward, and one criticised for having an alleged laissez-faire approach to the game, does not make Carroll immune from a damaging loss of confidence, as his performances had showed prior to the influential display in the FA

Our football writers run the rule over the possible ins and outs for the final day of the January transfer window

Arsenal

What they wanted Cover up front and at left-back. The squad’s reliance on Robin van Persie is well documented and neither of his deputies, Park Chu-young and Marouane Chamakh,, who is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, has so far shown himself to be capable. Due to injuries, Arsene Wenger has not named a recognised full-back in his starting line-up since 6 December.

What they got Thierry Henry on loan from the NY Red Bulls until 16 February, with an option for him to stay until 26 February, which the Red Bulls hold. It has been emotional to see Henry back in the shirt and the first of his three substitute appearances to date saw him score the winner against Leeds in the FA Cup

D-Day moves? Anyone hoping for a big-name buy, and that includes many of the players, should be braced for disappointment. David Hytner

Ins Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls, loan); Thomas Eisfeld (B

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Andy Carroll has said he has no desire to leave Liverpool after the club tried to exchange him for Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez only a year after his £35m arrival from Newcastle United.

Carroll, who has scored only six times for Kenny Dalglish’s team since becoming Britain’s most expensive footballer 12 months ago, was also linked with a return to Newcastle United earlier in the transfer window. Having produced a battling display in Saturday’s FA