Gerrard may miss World Cup qualifiers with injury, says Benitez
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Your support makes all the difference.Gerrard will be sitting in the Main Stand at Anfield tonight as his team-mates look to secure their place in the Champions' League group stage at the expense of CSKA Sofia, a consequence of a calf injury sustained against Sunderland and, possibly, a pre-season programme that has demanded 11 performances from the midfielder by the third week in August.
Liverpool's management, surprised that Gerrard was required for 84 minutes of England's defeat in Copenhagen despite his participation in three qualifying rounds for the Champions' League this summer, withdrew the 25-year-old as soon as the injury struck on Saturday. Hopes that he would be available to face CSKA Moscow in Friday's European Super Cup are receding, however, with the injury responding more slowly than expected to treatment.
Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, has refused to rule out his inspirational captain from the trip to Monaco. But should Gerrard fail to appear at Stade Louis II on Friday then Benitez is likely to insist he plays no part in the World Cup double header, at the Millennium Stadium on 3 September and Windsor Park four days later, that could decide England's fate in Group Six.
"If he is not fit for Friday's match it will be dangerous to play for England," said Benitez yesterday, a verdict that will alarm Eriksson as he attempts to mould the outstanding club form of Gerrard and Frank Lampard into an effective international partnership.
"I would need to talk to the doctor after the Sofia game, and then about Monaco for the Super Cup. I will talk with the England manager if it is necessary." Benitez added: "I have talked with the doctors and it may be difficult for us to see him play on Friday. But he wants to play.
"It is hard to say whether Steven would have picked up his injury if he hadn't played so many games, you just don't know."
Money is also important to the Liverpool manager as he seeks to bring at least two more players into the club ahead of the transfer deadline and a minimum of £6m should be coming his way today with Milan Baros on the verge of a move to Aston Villa. The Czech Republic international travelled to the Midlands last night to undergo a medical ahead of a transfer that, with instalments, could rise to £7m.
"I'm delighted we have finally got our man," said David O'Leary last night. "All credit to the chairman for sticking with it. He'll give us a spark that we need up front. I'm looking forward to working with him." Baros has agreed a four-year contract worth around £30,000-a-week with Villa.
The sale of Baros will also improve Djibril Cissé's prospects at Anfield, with the £14m striker set to start against the Bulgarian champions tonight when Liverpool aim to protect a 3-1 first leg advantage. Cissé's long-term Liverpool future, however, remains uncertain with Benitez yesterday apparently reluctant to end talk that he, too, could be sacrificed to raise more funds.
Liverpool (probable, 4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock; Potter, Hamann, Alonso, Riise; Cissé, Morientes.
CSKA Sofia (probable, 4-2-3-1): Hmaruc; Matic, Zabavnik, Gueye, Silva; Hdiouad, Todorov; Yanev, V Dimitrov, Gargorov; Zadi.
Referee: W Stark (Ger).
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