Friday, February 06, 2009

Rafa Admits Gerrard Concern


Rafa Benitez is hoping Liverpool can keep their title challenge on track without injured captain Steven Gerrard.

Reds star Gerrard has been ruled out of action for three weeks after picking up a hamstring injury in Wednesday's FA Cup replay defeat to Everton.

It means Gerrard will miss this weekend's trip to Portsmouth and Benitez concedes it will tough at Fratton Park without the midfield dynamo.

"He is an important player for us. It is always more difficult to play without him," said Benitez.

"You can't change things so it is better to concentrate on the next game.

"We have some problems with injuries and Portsmouth will be tough so we need players with fresh legs."

Benitez hopes their exit from the FA Cup could prove to be a blessing in disguise as they target success in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

"We are out of the cup so maybe we will have more time and the players will not play too many games so will be ready for the Champions League and Premier League," added Benitez.

"We are in a very good position and we need to win against Portsmouth and keep going."

Meanwhile, Dirk Kuyt has called on the players to bounce back from their FA Cup disappointment by taking all three points against Portsmouth.

"We have lost one of our targets but we still have two more to go for because we are still in the Champions League and we are fighting for the Premier League title, so we cannot afford to be too downhearted," said Kuyt.

"The key now is how we react to this defeat.

"The positive thing from our point of view is that on the two other occasions we have lost games this season we managed to come back in the weeks that followed. That is what we must do now."

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