FOOTBALL

GERRARD FITNESS IS A WORRY AS REDS FACE PIVOTAL TEST

AQUILANI: Cameo role

Friday October 30,2009

By Paul Joyce

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STEVEN GERRARD will miss Liverpool’s trip to Fulham and remains a major doubt for the Champions League showdown with Lyon as he continues his recovery from the groin problem suffered with England.

Manager Rafa Benitez is growing increasingly concerned over his skipper’s fitness after revealing Gerrard is working with the club’s medical team again and that tomorrow’s game at Craven Cottage is likely to come too soon. Striker Fernando Torres is also feeling the affects of his own groin injury having only been 80 per cent fit against Manchester United last Sunday, but he has a better chance of featuring in what is a pivotal double-header.

“Both have to keep going,” said Benitez. “Gerrard is still working with the physio, so we will see. Hopefully, Torres will be OK, but for Gerrard it is more difficult.”

Benitez delayed a decision on whether Gerrard could face Manchester United last weekend until the last minute and the admission that he is “working with the physio” suggests a setback in his rehabilitation.

The player has a history of groin problems – twice previously he has undergone surgery – and suffered the latest injury against the Ukraine three weeks ago. He aggravated the problem in the home defeat by Lyon last week and missed the Premier League win over United and Wednesday’s Carling Cup reverse at Arsenal.

Liverpool had hoped Gerrard would be fit to face Fulham, but must now wait and see if the injury settles down sufficiently to allow him to travel to Lyon for next Wednesday’s vital tie.

They are currently third in their group and, realistically, need to beat the French side to keep alive their hopes of progressing.

Benitez’s downbeat medical bulletin comes with the Liverpool manager insisting he will not rush £17million midfielder Alberto Aquilani into his starting line-up despite his impressive cameo against Arsenal.

Aquilani made his senior debut following ankle surgery with a late appearance as a substitute at the Emirates, catching the eye with his passing and eagerness to get into the penalty area – and the temptation to fast-track him into the team is obvious.

Many of Aquilani’s problems, however, stemmed from being pushed back too soon under Luciano Spaletti at AS Roma and Benitez is anxious not to repeat those errors.

“He needs to improve his fitness but you can see that he can pass the ball. In the final third, he can be a big difference,” said Benitez.

“For us he will be an important player because we need the quality and he is this kind of player.

“We want to push him but we cannot push too hard because we know that it will be a risk so we keep working and then see if he can have more minutes in every game.”

Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal on Wednesday, Dirk Kuyt maintains Liverpool’s confidence remains intact ahead of the key trips to Fulham and Lyon.

Benitez made nine changes to the side which had beaten Manchester United and Kuyt, who was handed the captain’s armband, said: “We can go to Fulham with a lot of confidence because this week is a big week.

“A few very big games are coming up and if we can beat Fulham we can get back in the title race.”