Match Preview: Liverpool vs West Ham United

After a poor start to the season, Liverpool had finally begun to show some semblance of form by going on an unbeaten run of six games in all competitions. But a trip to Stoke City saw them relinquish their undefeated run by falling to a 2-0 defeat at the Britannia Stadium.

That game was reminiscent of the Reds’ inconsistency, as it was only a week before that they were celebrating a well-earned victory over Chelsea.

But Hodgson will know that he is one positive run of games away from resurrection, as six points separate the Merseysiders from fourth placed Manchester City.

And playing the bottom placed team in the standings at home can only prove to be a confidence booster in the quest to restore lost pride and reclaim what almost used to be a rightful place in the Champions League.

But for all that to happen, the home side will have to first overcome a few problems in their line-up, as talismanic captain Steven Gerrard has been ruled out for up to four weeks after picking up a hamstring injury whilst on international duty. To add to Hodgson’s woes, Lucas is suspended for this game, and Joe Cole remains a doubt.

This should give Christian Poulsen a chance to shine and redeem himself in the eyes of the fans, after experiencing a poor start to his career on Merseyside.

Thirteen games gone, and West Ham have registered only one victory against their name and are currently at the very bottom of the Premier League - albeit on goal difference. Still, a tally of nine points from 13 games is an underachievement by any standards.

They won’t be able to get out of the drop zone by registering a victory over their opponents, but three points would be a massive step in the right direction.

Avram Grant’s head appeared to be on the chopping block some time back, but vice-chairman Karren Brady has maintained that the gaffer continues to have the owners’ blessing at the moment.

"When you make a very big and important decision to replace a manager you have to take a lot of things into account. We thought very carefully when we appointed Avram and I can assure you there is no finger on the button," she said recently.

"We are not getting results and the table does not lie but we will do everything in our power to support him.”

But having the favour of the upper echelon at Upton Park is far from what the Israeli boss needs at the moment, though it must certainly help in knowing that he is in no danger at the moment.

However, it also means that he has the future of the Hammers in his hands, as a continued inability to register a victory could see the club having to play a deadly catch-up just to secure survival – since they are already four points behind an 18th placed Birmingham City.

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

Steven Gerrard (hamstring) is sidelined for up to four weeks after suffering an injury during the recent international friendly against France.

Worries abound in the engine room, as Lucas is suspended for this game. This means that the Reds will have two different central midfielders for this game.

Joe Cole (hamstring) is unlikely to return in time for this clash, while Daniel Agger (calf) will be unavailable through injury.

But manager Roy Hodgson is booster by the availability of Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Martin Skrtel and Glen Johnson for this encounter. Fabio Aurelio has also declared himself fit to face the Hammers, after playing 75 minutes in a reserve game against Blackpool.

Possible starting line-up: Reina; Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky; Meireles, Poulsen, Spearing, Maxi; Kuyt, Torres.

West Ham United

Julien Faubert is back in contention, but is unlikely to make the cut into the starting line-up. Meanwhile, Tal Ben Haim (ankle) is still a doubt, and may not make in time for the game.

Valon Behrami and Kieron Dyer are both doubtful for this encounter, but the latter could come back in time to feature at Anfield.

Manuel da Costa (ankle), Mark Noble (Appendicitis), Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh) and Jack Collison (knee) all out with respective injuries, and will not make the trip to Merseyside.

Possible starting line-up: Green; Jacobsen, Upson, Gabbidon, Ilunga, Boa Morte, Kovac, Parker, Dyer, Obinna, Piquionne.

Liverpool Track Argentine International Striker

Liverpool are being linked with a January move for Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez.

The Argentine international striker is reportedly poised for the exit door at current club Lyon, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is thought to have been 'sounded out' as a potentially interested party in the player.

Lopez began his career at Racing Club in his homeland before joining FC Porto in 2005. Lyon would pay €24 million for the player in 2009, viewing the striker as a replacement for Karim Benzema.

An impressive strike rate in Ligue 1 has led to interest in the player, and the French club are thought to be willing to let the player leave if the price is right, according to the Daily Mirror.

Liverpool have been promised money to spend in the transfer window by new owners NESV, and Hodgson will have to consider if an £17 million move for the player will represent good value for the Anfield club.

A foil for Spanish striker Fernando Torres is thought to be the priority on Merseyside, and the Argentine maverick could prove to be the perfect addition for Liverpool.

Benzema, Mario Gomez and Carlton Cole have all been linked with January moves to Liverpool as the Reds boss considers his options, and additions seem certain in the opening month of 2011.

Spearing Faces Six Weeks Out

Jay Spearing's dream of making his first Barclays Premier League start at Anfield this weekend is over after he suffered a hairline fracture in his fibula during the closing stages of Friday's training session.

The 21-year-old was hoping to use the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard and suspended Lucas Leiva to stake his claim for a first-team place.

However, he now stands no chance of featuring in the tea-time kick-off against West Ham and instead faces up to six weeks on the sidelines.

"Unfortunately right at the end of the training session, which was 5-a-side and not at all a competitive game, he turned his ankle and cracked a small bone just above the ankle in his fibula," said boss Roy Hodgson.

"That means he is going to be missing for six weeks. It is a terrible blow for Jay and us. He has been doing ever so well and getting closer and closer to a place in the first team.

"I was considering using him in this game, possibly even starting him."

Roy Hodgson Rubbishes Glen Johnson Exit Talk

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has played down speculation linking Glen Johnson with an Anfield exit and insisted he is the Reds' first choice right-back.

Hodgson has been critical of the England international’s form of late, but the manager is eager for the defender to come back into the team following a spell on the sidelines.

"As far as I'm concerned he has, and I think as far as he's concerned he has. Once again we're talking storms in tea cups and people trying to make something out of nothing," Hodgson told reporters.

"My relationship with Johnson has been very good since I came to the club, and he's always played in the team when he's fit.

"As far as I'm concerned he's the Liverpool right-back and the England right-back and we're very happy to welcome him back into the team now that he's fit again."

Johnson is set to feature against West Ham United on Saturday after a groin injury prevented him from playing against Stoke City last week.

Harry Redknapp Has Defended Fabio Capello Over Steven Gerrard Injury Row

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has defended Fabio Capello over the row that has emerged between England and Liverpool over Steven Gerrard's hamstring injury.

The Liverpool captain has been ruled out for up to four weeks with the injury he picked up in the 85th minute of England's 2-1 loss to France on Wednesday.

Gerrard's injury has angered Liverpool, as they only expected the midfielder to play 60 minutes of the international friendly.

Capello says he kept Gerrard on the pitch because of injuries suffered to other players during the game and the Italian has found an ally in Spurs boss Redknapp.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Redknapp said: "It's a shame for Stevie Gerrard but no one's more patriotic than him.

Gerrard Asks Hodgson To Stop The England Injury Furore

As Anfield faces up to a critical pre-Christmas period without him, Steven Gerrard intervened to prevent the escalation of Liverpool's club-versus-country row with the FA.

His manager, Roy Hodgson, said Gerrard contacted him, asking him to play down the implications of a hamstring injury sustained late on during England's defeat by France at Wembley. Liverpool expected Gerrard to be used for only the first hour and the incident caused the club's fitness coach, Darren Burgess, to label the FA "amateurish and absolutely disgraceful" on his Twitter page.

"When I spoke to Steven this morning he was at pains to say to me: 'Don't prolong the debate, please say as little as you can and be as diplomatic as you can'," said Hodgson, who faces the dilemma of all Liverpool managers since Gerrard made his debut a dozen years ago – when to bring him back from injury.

"Steven is determined it won't be a month," he said. "He doesn't accept for one minute that this will take a month. But the one thing he doesn't want and I certainly don't want is for him to come back after two weeks, play 60 minutes and then the injury flares up again, perhaps even worse than before – because then we could be looking at a season in which Steven plays intermittently; two weeks on and four weeks off.

"When you get these scans you always get a figure thrown at you but it doesn't always work out like that. Joe Cole was supposed to be out for two weeks and now it's gone on to four. Glen Johnson was going to be 10 days and it's turned out to be three and a half weeks.

"I don't know if I am being diplomatic, I am simply refusing to prolong a debate. Our fitness coach, Darren, in his naivety and frustration, was foolish enough to voice an opinion on Twitter and that's led to these two days of vitriol. I think it's time we got it stopped."

Although the FA will pay his estimated £120,000-a-week wages while he is injured, the anxiety at Liverpool's training ground at Melwood is easy to understand. Of the two outstanding performances Liverpool have produced under Hodgson, the dismantling of Chelsea was the work of Fernando Torres, while the astonishing comeback to cut the ground from beneath Napoli's feet was classic Gerrard.

West Ham will not present the problems Stoke did last Saturday night; they are without Scott Parker, who is as precious to Avram Grant as Gerrard is to Hodgson, and the last West Ham captain to win at Anfield was Bobby Moore in 1963.

However, of the midfielders remaining to Hodgson, Cole and Lucas Leiva are unavailable through injury and suspension while he admits Christian Poulsen and Raul Meireles have yet to find their feet on Merseyside.

Hodgson has known Poulsen since their time at Copenhagen a decade ago but he accepts that he has struggled to find his rhythm. The victory over Napoli was probably the nadir; his substitution was greeted by an ovation from the Kop and then he had to watch as Gerrard turned the night on its head.

"In the first game [the 0-0 draw in Naples] he was outstanding and he did very well in Trabzon," Hodgson said. "But, of course, he has had two very unfortunate games at Anfield, where he's not played to his true ability, he has missed some passes and the crowd have jumped on to him. Christian is a strong person, though, very strong mentally so he is just going to have to get through that, although that won't happen overnight. Nothing I can say will change the fact that, if he misses the first two or three passes against West Ham, the crowd will get on to him again. That's what will happen. That's life, but he will deal with that."

NESV Separates Itself From Former Liverpool Owners With 'Organization and Vision'

It's likely that one of the first emotions that ran through the minds of many Liverpool fans when NESV took over was fear. And who could blame them? It was an American group that had previously run their beloved club into the ground, what would make this group any different?

If it was dread running through the Reds' fans minds, it was quickly diminished when they realized the vision of NESV, and what they have in store for the future of Liverpool.

In a recent article on goal.com, a comparison is drawn to the 2004 Red Sox. Soon after John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino took to the helm of the Red Sox' organization, a dream was realized by hundreds of Red Sox fans. A dream that hadn't been reached in 86 years.

Henry looks to bring that same notion of change and hope to Liverpool. No exciting promises of billion-dollar players and spanking-new stadiums -- just the forward-looking promise that things will change.

One of the many differences between NESV and Liverpool's former owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, is what the goal.com article refers to as a "sporting philosophy." Henry has proven that he's not in this game for the sake of owning a big-name football club. He's in it to change the fate of a historical club that has a devoted fan base.

This isn't Henry's first time working with a passionate group of fans. Red Sox Nation ring a bell?

Henry has already laid out the groundwork of the upcoming plans for the Reds. Transfers will be made through scouting young talent, and developing players from the ground up, rather than buying big names. A similar framework was run in Boston, weeding out the aging veterans and bringing in a young squad that formed an unbreakable chemistry.

Henry also brings with him a wealth of business experience, and Anfield will be run as a business. Henry has developed the Red Sox into more than just a baseball team, they're a way of life, and several business ventures run through the walls of Fenway, and it's looking like Liverpool will be no different.

The relationship between NESV and Liverpool is still young, but it seems the Reds have much to look forward to in what lies ahead.

Roy Needs Results To Turn Reds Around

Roy Hodgson has struggled to meet the increased level of expectation that comes with managing a club the size of Liverpool, and even though he has plenty of valid excuses, the only thing that will lead Liverpool and Roy through their current troubles is results. Actions will have to speak louder than words over the next few months.

There is no doubt that Roy Hodgson has had a very difficult job to do at Liverpool. After all, the club was in chaos when he went there because of the ownership problem. But the fans have been on his back when chanting Kenny Dalglish's name - most recently in the defeat to Stoke City last weekend - and that is very difficult to hear for a manager. Roy will have to deal with that and accept it.

The situation at Anfield is undoubtedly complex. Kenny said he wanted to replace Rafa Benitez over the summer and for whatever reason he was passed over for the job by the board. A legend amongst the fans, he now remains at the club and his shadow looms large. Roy is an experienced manager but at big clubs you are exposed to a wider range of pressures than you would be at a club like Fulham. He may have been disappointed to hear the chants but fans are entitled to do what they want - they have paid their money. Supporters will have their say and you cannot put words in their mouth.

What you must do is win the fans over and that is the job of everyone at Liverpool FC. It starts with the owners and it runs through to Roy. The only way he can improve his standing in the long term is to secure positive results. That is how he became a favourite of Fulham fans, but what constitutes a good result at Fulham is not always the same as at Anfield. Fulham's level of expectation is lower, and managing Liverpool is another ball game entirely.

The lack of ambition shown by Liverpool on the pitch this season has also been a little bit surprising. You can't just blame Roy Hodgson - they have had this problem for a few years - but the same problems are persisting. Under Benitez they played two defensive midfielders in Javier Mascherano and Lucas, and Hodgson has replaced Mascherano with Christian Poulsen. These players are capable of winning the ball but they are not particularly gifted in terms of creativity. While Gerrard can obviously provide chances for Torres, the other important outlet is Glen Johnson and it looks as though he has had a falling out with Roy Hodgson. Liverpool's best players are up front, Gerrard and Fernando Torres, and they are the match-winners so you shouldn't have any fear in supporting them with positive players if possible.

Liverpool have a whole catalogue of players who are not any better than the ones they have replaced - they are similar players, just with different names. The Liverpool squad is full of average Premier League performers, and below average in some cases. As such, I don't foresee a terrific season ahead for my former club. Not even the most fanatical Liverpool fan is looking at finishing in the top four this season - it isn't going to happen. By Liverpool's standards they are in turmoil, and they are a long way from where they want to be, but they will still finish fairly high up the league and the fans will keep behind them, even if they will be disgruntled at times, because that's what Liverpool fans do.

Roy will need his best players fit over the season but we learned on Thursday that Gerrard will be sidelined for up to a month having sustained an injury when representing England against France. The news infuriated Liverpool's medical team, and what you mustn't do as an international manager is damage players for their clubs because they will make it difficult for you in future. The demands of club and international football do not fit hand-in-hand - when I was manager of Newcastle I would have 15 players travelling all over the world and you would be concerned about the condition they would return in - but when they are picked for England, they are England players.

The manager has to handle them how he thinks fit and as England manager you cannot satisfy everyone. If Sir Alex Ferguson rings you up and asks you not to play his player for more than 60 minutes then the next thing you know is that Liverpool hear that and make similar demands. It is farcical. If they are deemed to be fit then clubs shouldn't have any say in it, but it is a very complex and difficult situation.

Gerrard Scan Result

Steven Gerrard is facing a three to four-week spell on the sidelines after sustaining a 'significant' hamstring injury on England duty, a scan has today confirmed.

The skipper underwent tests this afternoon which confirmed the early assessment of our medical team at Melwood that the injury is a grade two tear.

Gerrard left the field after 85 minutes of England's 2-1 defeat to France on Wednesday night.

Speaking before the scan, Dr. Peter Brukner told us: "Steven injured his hamstring on Wednesday night. He's just been in for an early assessment here and it certainly looks like a significant hamstring injury.

"He's going to be out for a little while, I'm afraid. I'd imagine it could be three to four weeks."

Fans were disappointed to see Gerrard play almost 90 minutes of the friendly encounter but Dr. Brukner remains philosophical.

"If you put your hand up to play for your country, you've got to accept how long they want you to play for," he said.

"There were obviously circumstances on Wednesday night which came together to result in Steven playing for a bit longer than we'd hoped, which is disappointing but there's nothing we can do about that now.

"We'll move on and work as hard as we can to get him back playing for Liverpool as soon as possible."

Jamie Carragher Demands Liverpool Cope Without Steven Gerrard

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has urged the team to rise to the challenge of losing captain Steven Gerrard for up to a month.

Scans yesterday revealed the Reds skipper had sustained a grade two hamstring tear in England's friendly defeat to France on Wednesday, having played 25 minutes longer than agreed.

One startling statistic this season is that all the team's goals have either come from, or been created by Gerrard or Fernando Torres.

With the captain now out for a month it could easily be argued Liverpool have lost at least 50% of their cutting edge.

But Carragher, who will lead the side in the 30-year-old's absence, insists they have to adapt and cope - starting against Barclays Premier League bottom side West Ham at Anfield tomorrow.

"There is no doubt Steven will be missed whether we win, lose or draw because he is such an important player here," said Carragher, who recently described Gerrard as the best player in the club's history.

"But it is up to us to perform well and lessen the impact, like when we beat Spurs (2-0) in January without him and Fernando.

"There are a few similarities because that game came a few days after a disappointing result against Stoke when we drew 1-1 but we showed we could bounce back."

Carragher added in the Liverpool Echo: "Everyone knows what great quality Steven has and it is frustrating for everyone - though nobody more than him - that he is out because he has been in such good form.

"But the most important thing now is beating West Ham. We know we didn't perform at Stoke but if we get three points tomorrow, the league table will look much better and we can push on."

There has been some good news on the injury front, although the return of defenders Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio hardly compensates for the loss of Gerrard.

Johnson has been out for three games with an adductor strain while Aurelio, who has struggled with Achilles and groin injuries, has made just one 25-minute substitute appearance since August 26.

"It's nice to have some good news," said Dr Peter Brukner, head of sports medicine and sports science.

"Fabio's worked incredibly hard. I think we all know he's had a horrendous run with injuries in the last two or three years and he got injured again a few weeks ago.

"He's worked very hard to get himself right. He's trained for the last week or so and played the majority of the reserve game on Tuesday, and I'm happy to report that he's come through that well.

"He's available for first-team selection this week and hopefully his injury problems are in the past."

Liverpool And Chelsea Ready £10 Million Bids For Serie A Midfield Ace

Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly set to battle for Palermo midfielder Armin Bačinovič.

The Slovenian midfielder has been in fine form for Palermo since joining the Serie A side in August, and has attracted interest from both various clubs across Europe - with Liverpool and Chelsea thought to be frontrunners for his signature.

It was reported last week that Liverpool were plotting a January bid for the Slovenian - who reportedly has a buyout clause in his contract of €12 million - but, according to Sportal, Chelsea have also emerged as contenders for the highly-rated 21-year-old.

However, Roy Hodgson and Carlo Ancelotti may have to put their interest on hold after Bačinovič's agent revealed his client needs to gain more experience in Italy.

Amir Ruznic told TMW: "Armin, in a few years, will certainly be ready for Liverpool or Chelsea, but now I know nothing.

"Just yesterday I spoke to someone asking about these rumours, of which I am not aware of. Certainly within a year, he will be a player ready for a top club."

This could pave the way for a summer move to either Anfield or Stamford Bridge for the former Maribor ace, who would fit with Liverpool owners NESV's ethos of bringing exciting young talent to the club.

However, Liverpool will face stiff competition for Bačinovič with Chelsea's renowned financial clout making them slight favourites to win the race for the Slovenia international.

Jovanovic Doesn't Want To Play

Milan Jovanovic claims he does not want to be considered by Serbia until he is playing regularly at Liverpool.

The 29-year-old forward moved to Anfield as a free agent over the summer, fresh from catching the eye at the 2010 World Cup.

He has, however, struggled to make an impression in England and has quickly tumbled down the pecking order under Roy Hodgson.

Jovanovic insists he is prepared to fight for a place in the Reds side and has no plans to seek a move elsewhere just yet.

He is ruling out a return to international football any time soon, though, with it imperative that he gives his full attention to domestic duties.

Speaking after Serbia's 1-0 win over Bulgaria on Wednesday, Jovanovic told Sport: "Did I go to the airport to wish my friends good luck before the game in Sofia? No, because I didn't want to be in the spotlight for nothing. This isn't how I do things.

"I am 29 years old and I have a career which is quite good.

"But I know when I am not playing well and that is why I told my national coach (Vladimir) Petrovic that I don't want to be called up until I am playing first-team football at Liverpool.

"This is the honest thing to do and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Fabio Capello: I'll Speak To Liverpool Manager Roy Hodgson

England manager Fabio Capello insists that he will speak to Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson about having to play Steven Gerrard for longer than he initially intended during the recent loss to France.

The Reds had requested that the 30-year-old midfielder be given no more than 60 minutes out on the pitch, but the former Real Madrid boss decided to play him until his hamstring gave way.

Now the Anfield ace will be out for up to four weeks owing to the injury, but the Three Lions boss remains unapologetic in his stance.

"I will speak with him [Hodgson]," Capello told reporters. "But I know that Steven is a really important player.

"I will speak with him to explain. When you play, like this game, with a lot of young players and you do not have a lot of old players, senior players, with experience, he is important because he is the captain.

"About Steven Gerrard, he is a really good player, captain of the team. If he played, he was OK. But sometimes injuries come when you don’t expect them."

Liverpool Eye £500,000 In Compensation From FA For Steven Gerrard Injury

Liverpool will enter into discussions with the Football Association to thrash out a compensation figure for Steven Gerrard's injury lay-off.

The FA have an obligation to reimburse the wages of players who are injured representing their country for the time they are on the sidelines.

Newcastle United received a colossal figure when Michael Owen ruptured his cruciate ligament during the 2006 World Cup and Liverpool could receive as much as £500,000 for Gerrard's absence.

Gerrard could be out for as much as four weeks after suffering a grade two tear of his hamstring during the 2-1 defeat to France at Wembley on Wednesday night.

But though Liverpool look set to benefit financially, there is still widespread anger at Anfield about Fabio Capello's treatment of the 30-year-old.

Capello remains unrepentant but Reds boss Roy Hodgson is incandescent - and no apology or money from the FA will temper the Anfield mood.

Brukner Praise For Aurelio

Dr. Peter Brukner has praised the efforts of Fabio Aurelio in getting back to full fitness ahead of our Barclays Premier League game against West Ham on Saturday.

The left-back has not featured for the first team since the Europa League win in Trabzonspor on August 26 having been sidelined with Achilles and groin problems.

However, he is now back in full training and came through Tuesday's reserve clash with Blackpool unscathed.

"It's nice to have some good news," Dr. Brukner told Liverpoolfc.tv. "Fabio's worked incredibly hard. I think we all know he's had a horrendous run with injuries in the last two or three years and he got injured again a few weeks ago.

"He's worked very hard to get himself right. He's trained for the last week or so and played the majority of the reserve game on Tuesday, and I'm happy to report that he's come through that well.

"He's available for first-team selection this week and hopefully his injury problems are in the past."

Reds Fume At Gerrard Injury

England and Liverpool have both confirmed that an agreement was broken over the amount of time Steven Gerrard would spend on the pitch against France.

After talks between the Merseyside club and England, it was agreed that Fabio Capello would play Gerrard for no more than an hour.

However, Gerrard ended up playing until just six minutes from time when he was forced off with a hamstring injury.

Capello's decision saw Liverpool's head of fitness and conditioning Darren Burgess post a tweet slamming England's behaviour as 'disgraceful'

In his tweet, which was removed 55 minutes after going up on Twitter, Burgess said: "Unbelievable from all associated with England and English FA with regard to Steven Gerrard's injury. Completely ignored agreement and past history.

"Completely amateurish and now we pay for their incompetence. Absolutely disgraceful."

Capello admitted that an injury to Gareth Barry meant he had to stay on beyond the previously agreed schedule.

However, Capello insisted that any club cannot dictate to a national team how long somebody should play.

"We spoke with Steve and he said he would play one hour, but after Barry's injury we had some problems," admitted Capello.

"That was the reason he stayed on the pitch. If it's possible, the players will play the time we agreed with the club.

"But Barry was really injured so we needed someone senior on the pitch because it was a really young team. He said he was good.

"They [Liverpool] asked that he can play one hour if it's possible. They can't decide how long a player plays with the national team.

"If it's possible, he'd have played an hour. I understand why they're upset and I'm also upset.

"The problem is that, when you play this game on Wednesday after a lot of Premier League, Europa League or Champions League games, it's possible there might be an injury for a player. The Premier League, every time, is a tough league for the players."

"We're upset about what happened to Steve, of course."

Roy Hodgson Targets FC Copenhagen Left-Back Oscar Wendt

Liverpool are interested in signing FC Copenhagen's Swedish left-back Oscar Wendt, according to club scout Jakob Friis-Hansen.

Twenty-five-year-old Wendt has been at the Danish club since 2006 and has indicated that he plans to leave when his contract runs out at the end of the Danish season.

Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma have been linked with the player in the past and Friis-Hansen had revealed that Liverpool are particularly keen to bring the player to Anfield to bolster Roy Hodgson’s squad.

''We are keeping a good eye on Oscar," Friis-Hansen told The Expressen.

"He does a great job, but he must play at a high level every week. In Denmark, there are just a few high-quality games.’’

Friis-Hansen says FC Basel left-back Behrang Safari, another Sweden international, is also being monitored by the club, who already have summer signing Paul Konchesky and Fabio Aurelio on their books, with Emiliano Insua, another left-back, on loan at Galatasaray for the season.

Liverpool Challenge Arsenal And Chelsea In Race For European Wonderkid

Liverpool are the latest high-profile club to be linked with a move for Belgian starlet Romelu Lukaku.

The 17-year-old Anderlecht striker has been on the radar of Europe's elite for a few seasons now, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is the latest Premier League manager to apparently run-the-rule over the player.

Heavily linked with Chelsea in the past, Didier Drogba is thought to have previously spoken to the player in a bid to entice him to Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku, dubbed 'the new Drogba' himself, has also been linked with Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Spurs and Arsenal during his relatively short career.

A prodigy in his current club's youth academy, the striker made his debut in 2009 and has scored 22 goals in 48 Belgian Pro League matches. At international level, a brace in last night's friendly win against Russia provided a hint of Lukaku's quality, with seven caps to his name already.

Liverpool will undoubtedly face competition for the player's signature should they make a move in January, although Irish website JOE.ie place the Anfield club in pole position to land the player.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is renowned for bringing the best out of young talent at the Emirates, and he too could consider a move for the player as the Gunners look to challenge on several fronts this season.

Chelsea will also be monitoring the situation, with Carlo Ancelotti keen to continue strengthening the current champions.

It is the Reds who are possibly most in need of the player's services though, with Hodgson thought to be searching for a new attacking foil for Fernando Torres at Liverpool. Lukaku could fit the bill nicely.

Griezmann Agent Denies Offer

Antoine Griezmann's agent has denied that there has been any offer for the Real Sociedad winger, despite reported interest from Liverpool.

The 19-year-old French starlet is thought to have caught the eye of the Reds after bursting onto the scene for the Spanish club.

Griezmann was a revelation for Sociedad as they won promotion to La Liga last season and has continued his impressive form this term.

Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli is thought to be an admirer of the attacker, but his agent John Williams denies an offer is on the table.

He said: "I have received many questions about Antoine but now there are no offers on the table."

Griezmann has represented France at youth level and is believed to command a fee in the €7million (£6m) region.

He has a contract in San Sebastian that runs until the summer of 2015 and Sociedad are keen to retain the talented youngster.

Liverpool Fans Haven't Seen The True Me Yet - Christian Poulsen

Christian Poulsen insists that there is still a lot more to come from him at Liverpool.

The Danish midfielder arrived in a £4.5 million deal with Juventus during the summer, but has since been unable to create a significant impact in the squad.

Even manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that the 30-year-old has had a bad start to his career on Merseyside, as the former Sevilla man is yet to win over the fans.

"I don’t think the Liverpool fans have seen the true me yet," Poulsen said, according to The Mirror.

"We have a new coach, new backroom staff, new players and now new owners. It has taken time for us to find ourselves as a team.

"We have had some victories and I hope we can move further up the table. I really want to play a big part here."

Poulsen also maintained that he has no regrets about making the switch to join the Reds during the summer, despite the criticism he has taken in recent times.

"Juventus was a good experience and I feel positive about my time there," he said. "But I understand it was also time for me to move on and when Liverpool approached me, I wasn’t going to say no. Every day when I drive through the gates at Melwood, I realise this is the biggest club I’ve played for.

"I knew I was coming to a big, big club and that competition for places in the team would be very tough.

"There has been a lot of pressure because the start of the season hasn’t been so good. But I’m happy to be here. Everything is in place for me to try and get back into the team and make an impact on Liverpool’s season."