Leroy Fer Lined Up By Liverpool As Lucas Leiva Replacement

Liverpool are poised to step up their scouting of FC Twente midfielder Leroy Fer, after Lucas Leiva revealed he fears facing up to six months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The Reds have been chasing versatile enforcer Fer with a view to a summer transfer.

But with Lucas sustaining damage to his knee during Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Carling Cup, Kenny Dalglish's hand looks like being forced much sooner than expected.

Fer only joined Twente during the summer, following three seasons with Feyenoord, in which he established himself as vice-captain and earned a call up to the Dutch national team.

Newcastle and Everton were previously following the 21-year-old, while Feyenoord also turned down an offer from Juventus before Fer sealed a £5million switch across the Eredivisie in August.

However, the midfielder hasn't fallen off the Premier League radar, with Liverpool making several checks on his development in the last few weeks, along with team-mates Ola John and Luuk de Jong.

It's thought a bid in the region of around £10 million would be enough secure his services, and with Fer being at home anywhere in the back four as well as defensive midfield, he would provide manager Dalglish with plenty of options.

Eagles Chairman Eyes Reds Final

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has admitted he would love to face Liverpool in the Carling Cup final should the Eagles overcome fellow Championship rivals Cardiff.

The South London outfit dumped a second-string Manchester United side out the competition on Wednesday night thanks to a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory at Old Trafford.

Palace managed to avoid Premier League big guns Liverpool and Manchester City in the draw for the last four, but will start as underdogs against their Welsh opponents.

However, Parish is hopeful of a dream final against Kenny Dalglish's Reds, whom they beat 4-3 to claim a place in the 1990 FA Cup final.

Parish feels another encounter against them would be great reward for the club after their battles with administration and relegation in recent years.

He told talkSPORT: "I am sure Cardiff was hoping for us.

"They'll feel they have got a chance and we were hoping for them.

"We could probably make more money out of Manchester City or Liverpool but we have been in one Wembley final in our history.

"It would be absolutely amazing for us to get there.

"No disrespect to Man City but I have got a soft spot for Liverpool.

"Kenny was manager when we beat them 4-3 in the semi-finals. You never know, this would be a dream, a fairytale after everything we have been through, to get there.

"But we have got a tough couple of league games in front of us and Cardiff will feel they can do the same."

Henderson Wants To End Wait

Jordan Henderson is focused on returning Liverpool to Wembley after more than a decade away from the home of English football.

The Anfield club has not played at the national stadium since losing the 1996 FA Cup final to old rivals Manchester Unitedcourtesy of Eric Cantona's late goal.

Liverpool has won FA Cups, League Cups and Community Shields in their 15-year Wembley absence, but all of those successes came at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

England Under-21 international Henderson, a multi-million pound summer signing from Sunderland, is shocked by the statistic.

However, with a Carling Cup semi-final looming against Manchester City, the midfielder is determined to end the wait, as he said: "I'm surprised it's been so long. I didn't know that.

"For such a big club like Liverpool, you'd have thought we'd have been at Wembley since then.

"But I'm sure it won't be long before we're at Wembley again. We've got a two-leg tie to come and it won't be easy.

"But if we put in the right attitude and commitment into the game then I'm sure we can come away with good results."

Liverpool booked their place in the Carling Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday just 48 hours after drawing with City in the Premier League.

Manager Kenny Dalglish was far from happy at the congested fixture list, but Henderson, who played a full part in both matches, was pleased to be involved.

He said: "You have to fight for your place every week and I'm happy to be playing anywhere for Liverpool."

Permanent Anfield Exit Looms For Liverpool Midfielder

It seems as though the likelihood of Joe Cole securing a permanent exit from Liverpool is growing, as Lille striker Moussa Sow has outlined the impact that the 30 year-old loanee has had in France.

Cole is halfway through a season-long spell in France with the Ligue 1 champions and has impressed greatly over the 17 matches he has featured in across all competitions.

Indeed, Sow was determined to highlight the 56-cap England man's influence in helping his side to third place in the domestic league table.

"He's a great pro,” the Senegalese frontman told RMC Sports. “Along with [David] Rozenhal, he is the first in the locker room in the morning.

“He is always there ready, he is very involved and highly motivated, even when he's not playing. It's a surprise to see him like that.

“[The move] was a gamble for the club, and so far it's been successful.”

Although Kenny Dalglish will not be too downhearted by Cole's inevitable move, having gathered his own team since arriving at Anfield in January, his loss may be to the gain of another Premiership club.

Lucas Ruled Out For The Rest Of Season

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has vowed to return stronger from a knee injury which has ended his season.

The Brazil international damaged the anterior crucial ligament in his left knee during Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Chelsea in the Carling Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge.

Lucas was carried from the field on a stretcher after a clash with Juan Mata and his - and the club's - worst fears were confirmed by a scan.

The 24-year-old was inundated with messages of goodwill on Twitter and he responded in kind.

"Just to confirm that I will be out until the rest of season," he wrote.

"I am really sad with the news because I was enjoying [it] a lot on the pitch.

"I am sure I will come back stronger and I will achieve everything that I dream with the LFC shirt.

"I am sure I'll never walk alone."

The midfielder's absence is a huge blow for Liverpool as Lucas had been on of their best performers not only this season but the previous campaign as well.

In the last fortnight, in particular, the Brazilian has shown his worth with impressive performances against Chelsea in both the Barclays Premier League and Carling Cup victories and also in the 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

He has forged a successful central midfield partnership with summer signing Charlie Adam, undertaking the defensive anchor role to allow the Scotland international to play a more expansive game.

Lucas was Liverpool's player of the year last season, having been named the best young player the previous campaign, and the hole he leaves in the side is considerable.

Liverpool obviously feared the worst and after an initial assessment yesterday they recalled midfielder Jonjo Shelvey from his loan spell at npower Championship side Blackpool.

The ideal scenario for manager Kenny Dalglish would be a swift return for captain Steven Gerrard.

He has made just five appearances this season, having had a delayed start after recovering from a groin operation in April, and has not played since October 22 because of an ankle infection.

Gerrard, however, is a vastly different player from Lucas and his comeback would mean the defensive responsibility being passed to Adam.

He has already shown his worth in being given the freedom to get forward but he may now have to curtail that side of his game.

No timescale has been placed on Gerrard's return so in the short-term the defensive midfield role could be passed to Jay Spearing.

The 23-year-old has been used as back-up this season as, in five appearances, four starts have been in the Carling Cup.

However, his game is more suited to a defensive role and he proved his quality in the latter stages of last season when he deputized for Gerrard.

Despite Shelvey's recall from Blackpool, where he had scored six goals in 10 matches, he appears more likely to provide added depth on the bench.

Liverpool's other central midfield option is Jordan Henderson, who would no doubt prefer a move inside to a more familiar position having struggled out on the right where he has spent most of his time since joining from Sunderland in the summer.

The news about Lucas was confirmed in a short statement by the club.

"Liverpool FC said a scan had confirmed an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in Lucas Leiva's left knee," it read.

"The Brazil international will undergo surgery and unfortunately be ruled out for the remainder of the current campaign."

Carra Rues Lucas Blow

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes the Reds have lost their 'best player' after midfielder Lucas was ruled out for the season.

The Brazilian suffered cruciate ligament damage during Tuesday night's Carling Cup success over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and is now facing a long spell on the sidelines.

Lucas has established himself as a key member of the Anfield outfit's engine room, having previously been regarded with disdain by many supporters.

And veteran centre-back Carragher feels that his impact over this season and last term has been as significant as that provided by star striker Luis Suarez.

Best player

The former England international said: "For the last 18 months, in my opinion, he has been our best player.

"Luis has come in and done great things for the club, but Lucas has been his equal in many ways.

"He has been as good as anyone in the team this season."

And Carragher has saluted Lucas for the way he has stood firm and won the fans over following his £5million move from Gremio in July 2007.

"I have been there in terms of receiving criticism," the 33-year-old added.

"High standards are expected when you play for one of the big clubs and there are plenty of examples of players who have gone missing after realizing the demands on them.

"But you can tell he is a top player as he never let that bother him - he just got on with it and plays in nearly every game.

"If he has a little knock, he will always try and carry on, doing his best for us. There are lots of different characters but you can't fault Lucas."

LFC Backs World Aids Day

Liverpool Football Club has given its backing to World Aids Day.

World Aids Day has been held on December 1 since 1988 with the aim of fighting prejudice and educating people about the disease.

Mark Haig, LFC's manager for Action for Health, said: "Liverpool Football Club is supporting this international health campaign because we're aware of the devastating impact that HIV has caused many people globally.

"We support the main messages of the campaign with regard to using protection and being aware to protect your future health."

It's Been A Fantastic Year

It was in the sweltering late afternoon heat of Dubai where Gavin Laws, Head of Corporate Affairs for Standard Chartered, watched the last group of children leave the football pitch at the end of the final soccer clinic of the calendar year.

With hundreds more kids having benefited from the chance to enjoy a game of football under the eyes of Liverpool's acclaimed community coaching team, it was a case of being another job very well done as Liverpool FC and our main club sponsors again came together to provide once in a lifetime opportunities for our faraway fans.

"Our partnership with Liverpool was always going to be about more than us just handing over a cheque," said Laws. "That was key in the early discussions. We quickly discovered that both of us had an intuitive desire to help people less privileged than ourselves and I think that's why our partnership has gone from strength to strength since we first came together.

"We want to help people. We want to be out there in the local community. We want to be doing our bit to give kids chances they wouldn't ordinarily have and I think the way ourselves and Liverpool have worked together to achieve these sorts of things this year is fantastic."

The Dubai soccer clinic last week, led as usual by Liverpool FC Club Ambassador Ian Rush, was the fifth such clinic since Standard Chartered signed the deal to become our main club sponsors, with the opening clinic in Kenya last year being followed in 2011 with events in London, Seoul, Mumbai and now Dubai.

"Soccer Clinics were always something we wanted to do because as well as generating exposure for our bank it was an opportunity for us to take Liverpool into some of our markets which are really exciting and growing all the time," he added. "I think some have had more talented footballers than others, but all have had their own individual highlights and all have left a legacy which people in those parts of the world will talk about for some time to come. That's what it's all about.

"Of the four this year, the greatest talent was probably in Korea but then the event in London was spectacular. Most recently we have been to Mumbai and Dubai, two places where football perhaps isn't as popular, but the kids who took part there all enjoyed a great experience as well and the comments we get from the people involved suggest we are making a difference in the lives of young children.

"In Mumbai, for example, we took kids out of the slums to play football. These kids don't have the facilities to go and kick a ball around in the fresh air, so it's a pretty special experience for them to be given that chance.

"We have been delighted with all of the clinics we have run so far. There will be more next year but I think we may do things a little differently. There will always be sessions for children with special needs or for our staff's children to get involved, but I think we'll set up regional competitions or something like that in a bid to get a better standard of players coming along. At the moment it has been a case of anyone can come and work with the Liverpool coaches, but these guys have more skills than just organizing a kickaround so it may be that we look to see if we can increase the standard. I'm not saying we'd find a player who can go on to join Liverpool's Academy - although that would be nice - but it would be good if we could just up the standard a little bit at times."

Aside from the success of all four soccer clinics during 2011, Laws insists the summer pre-season tour of Asia was his own personal highlight from the last twelve months as the Reds took China, Malaysia and Singapore by storm over eight unforgettable days in July.

"It was far bigger and better than I ever could have imagined," he says. "The fans were unbelievable and the reaction was incredible. Arsenal and Chelsea were in that part of the world at the same time but it was all about Liverpool as far as the media were concerned and we were front page news day after day. It was fantastic and we can't wait to do it again.

"The magic of Kenny continues to impress us all, of course. He came in and changed the mood of the club almost straight away which was pretty incredible. The team are performing well, results are good and hopefully we can end this season having got back into Europe."

So as well as hoping for a return to continental football over the next year of our sponsorship, what else is the man who negotiated the deal on behalf of Standard Chartered eighteen months ago wishing for?

"We just want to keep working well together," he says. "When the deal was struck there were a lot of things we didn't know about each other. What really is Liverpool's ethos? We have since discovered we share the same values and beliefs. It's been a great partnership and I couldn't fault anything the club have done so far, they have been fantastic.

"One of the impressive things is that I speak to a number of sponsors of other football clubs and they look at ours with Liverpool and they ask us how we do it. That says everything to me.

"For us as a sponsor we want to continue to give people access they never would have been able to get before. We've taken multi billionaires from the Asian market to Liverpool and they've sat in the director's box. You can't get a cheque book out and buy that.

"Working with some of the club's legendary players - and with Ian Rush in particular who has been with us at the soccer clinics - has been amazing. Rushie has been great; Phil Thompson has helped out, Alan Hansen and Kenny as well. I don't think these guys realize how famous they are some of the time and how much joy they bring to youngsters or older fans who remember them from their playing days.

"We've got a lot out of the first season and a half of this sponsorship and we've now got to check in with the club and make sure they are getting what they want. Ian Ayre (Managing Director) and Graham Bartlett (Commercial Director) at the club have been very receptive to our ideas and they have lots of ideas of their own as well. I think it's working well and I'm already looking forward to 2012."

Carragher Targets Wembley

Jamie Carragher is determined to help Liverpool to a first appearance at the new Wembley, but recognises the Carling Cup represents a significant challenge.

A 2-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday night booked Kenny Dalglish's team a place in the semi-finals, where they could meet Manchester City, Cardiff, or Manchester United, if Sir Alex Ferguson's men overcome Crystal Palace.

Carragher knows a two-legged meeting with either of the Manchester sides will prove a tough test, but the former England international is desperate to make it to Wembley with his hometown club.

The defender won FA Cups and League Cups at the Millennium Stadium while Wembley was being redeveloped, however, Liverpool have not made it to the home of English football since it reopened in 2007.

Carragher told his club's official website: "I've played at Wembley once or twice for England, but I've never done it for Liverpool.

"I'd love to do that, but when we have got to cup finals they have been in Cardiff so I've never been there with Liverpool.

"There is a still a semi-final to play over two legs and there are some massive sides in there so it is going to be very tough. We'll take the semi-final very seriously."

Carragher was also full of praise for England Under 21 defender Martin Kelly, who headed Liverpool's second goal against Chelsea after Maxi Rodriguez had opened the scoring.

"Kelly is a young lad coming through, he's still learning the game. He can learn off Glen Johnson, England's right-back," he said.

"But hopefully in the future Martin Kelly will be in that position himself and he showed that."

Manchester City Face Liverpool In League Cup Semi-Final

Manchester City will face Liverpool in the League Cup semi-finals, as Cardiff City take on fellow Championship outfit Crystal Palace.

Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night to secure their path through to the final four, while Roberto Mancini's side was 1-0 victors against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The two sides met in the Premier League on Sunday, with the clash at Anfield ending as a 1-1 draw after Joleon Lescott's own goal cancelled out an opener from Vincent Kompany.

The draw means a Championship club will definitely be in the Wembley final, after both Palace and Cardiff beat Premier League opposition in the quarter-finals.

Cardiff beat struggling Blackburn Rovers 2-0 on Tuesday, and Dougie Freedman's side defeated Manchester United in a 2-1 win after extra time.

Both semi-finals will take place in January.

Reina Targets Christmas Points Present

Liverpool stopper Pepe Reina knows that the coming months are set to be pivotal to the club's push for a top four place this season.

The Reds are desperate for a return to the Champions League after missing out on Europe altogether last term, and have showed signs that they are one of the teams to beat after beating Chelsea and drawing with Manchester City in back-to-back league matches.

With a hectic December and January fixture list round the corner, Reina has been in the English game long enough to know that this will be a pivotal period for the Reds, and the Spaniard is hoping the club can gain some important wins in the winter months.

"We know from experience how important December and January can be in terms of the title race and your position in the league. We have to push now more than ever," Reina told the official Liverpool magazine.

"Without meaning any disrespect to the teams we are playing in this period, when you look at the fixtures I think all the games are winnable.

"Obviously every team is tough to beat in this league but now we have to make sure that we don't make any mistakes at home and that we take maximum points as often as we can."

Confidence is sky high in the Liverpool camp at the moment, helped in part by two wins in nine days at Stamford Bridge against Andre Villas-Boas' beleaguered Blues.

Reina believes Kenny Dalglish has been key to the change in fortunes on Merseyside following his arrival back in January, and the stability the Scot has brought to the club could be key to their future successes.

"We are all happy. I think we now find ourselves in an established situation. Kenny was one of the owners' appointments and Kenny is Liverpool, Liverpool is Kenny," he added.

"He has been the greatest ever so the supporters are more than happy and I think the way the team is playing shows that we are going the right way. Now we want to keep going and improve.

"We have found the right balance off the field with the determination from the owners to keep progressing. The stability is there so now it's up to us to deliver the results."

Liverpool Plan Move For Brazilian Playmaker

Liverpool have enjoyed a decent spell of form in recent weeks and manager Kenny Dalglish is determined to keep the momentum going by brining in reinforcements in January.

The Kop boss is reportedly interested in Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Jadson who was close to sealing a move to the Premier League in the summer when Arsenal were linked with the Brazilian.

The 28-year-old was top of Arsene Wenger's wishlist after losing Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the summer but the move never materialized and now it could be Liverpool that sign the attacking midfielder.

According to footybunker.com, the diminutive midfielder is now being lined up by Liverpool who, despite bringing in a number of midfielders, is keen to add the creative talent.

Jadson made his debut for Brazil in February of this year and has since gone on to play a number of games for the national side, scoring one goal against Paraguay in the Copa America.

With Joe Cole looking likely to make his move away from Anfield a permanent one next summer, Liverpool would well be looking for a creative midfielder and Jadson certainly has the ability to fill that role.

Liverpool has managed just 17 goals in 13 games and it seems they want to add a player capable of providing opportunities for their strikers as well as scoring from midfield.

Jadson has been a huge success in Ukraine where he has helped Shakhtar win five league titles in six years and play regularly in the Champions League.

Chelsea & Liverpool Told To Bid For River Plate's Ocampos

Chelsea and Liverpool have been encouraged to bid £14million if they want to sign River Plate's teenage sensation Lucas Ocampos.

Sportsmail revealed in October that Chelsea had made strong enquiries about the 6ft 2ins tall 17-year-old who has been dubbed the new Cristiano Ronaldo.

River initially insisted they would not sell until they had won promotion back to the Argentine top division and claimed they had already rejected offers of £15m for Ocampos from Inter Milan.

However, they are now contemplating a deal in January. Liverpool has been making big strides in the South American market with Chile forward Eduardo Vargas another transfer target.

His agent has confirmed Liverpool and Arsenal have made enquiries about him.

Liverpool has been monitoring the 22-year-old for a few months but they face strong competition for the Universidad de Chile player as AC Milan has already opened talks.

His agent Diego Cativa said: 'We're talking to clubs like AC Milan, Inter, Liverpool, Arsenal and others.'

Newcastle And Liverpool To Scout Dutch Star

Fulham's game against FC Twente on Thursday night is attracting plenty of attention from fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Newcastle who are keen to watch Luuk de Jong in action.

The Twente striker is a long term target for Newcastle and in recent weeks has also been linked with Liverpool after starting the season in superb form in Holland.

De Jong has scored eight league goals in nine appearances as Twente have lost just one of their opening 14 matches and currently find themselves seven points behind leaders AZ Alkmaar.

The 21-year-old has become a regular starter for Holland under Bert van Marwijk and has now made six appearances for the side, scoring his first ever international goal against Finland in September.

Newcastle have long been linked with a striker after losing Andy Carroll last January and De Jong appears to be the man that is topping manager Alan Pardew's wish list.

Meanwhile, Liverpool has also shown an interest in the prolific young striker as Kenny Dalglish attempts to continue the clubs policy of signing the best young talent around.

Both Premier League sides will watch the striker in action against Fulham on Thursday night with a view of making an offer for the striker in the January transfer window.

Reds Recall Shelvey As Lucas Cover

Liverpool has recalled Jonjo Shelvey from his loan spell at Blackpool as speculation mounts about the severity of Lucas Leiva's knee injury.

Shelvey, 19, has scored six goals in ten Championship appearances for the Seasiders, including a hat-trick in the 5-0 thrashing of Leeds earlier this month.

However a knee injury suffered by Lucas in Tuesday's 2-0 Carling Cup defeat of Chelsea has resulted in the Anfield club activating the immediate recall clause in Shelvey's loan agreement.

"Obviously this is a setback to us as Jonjo has done ever so well in his short time with us,'' Blackpool manager Ian Holloway told the club's official website. "We knew that Liverpool had the recall option on him and it is only the unfortunate injury to Lucas that has prompted them to take this course of action.''

Holloway has not ruled out a return to Tangerine colours for Shelvey, and he added: "We will be in regular contact with Liverpool about trying to bring him back in January should Liverpool's injuries clear up.''

Lucas Faces Six Months Out

Liverpool fear Lucas Leiva will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. The Brazilian midfielder, one of his club's best performers this year, was carried off on a stretcher during the 2-0 Carling Cup win at Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Lucas underwent a scan yesterday at 1pm, and although the results will not be known until today, Liverpool fear the worst. The player himself was said to be pessimistic as he returned to Liverpool on crutches. The likely prognosis for a serious knee-ligament injury would be a six-month absence.

With 20 minutes remaining of Tuesday night's game at Stamford Bridge, Lucas collided with Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata. He went down clutching his left knee and was carried off. "I will have the scan to see how bad is [sic] my injury," he wrote on Twitter immediately afterwards. "Just send positives [sic] energy and I hope won't be too bad."

It would be a sorely felt absence for Liverpool if they did lose Lucas for an extended period. He has been an influential playing alongside Charlie Adam in the centre of the park. His defensive anticipation and swift, precise distribution have helped Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool smother opposition attacks and initiate their own.

Lucas was the obvious man of the match in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester City, nullifying the threats of David Silva and Yaya Touré. "Joe Hart was good for them but Lucas was the best player on the pitch, he was amazing," said team-mate Jose Enrique afterwards. "He is playing really well with Charlie [Adam], who is scoring some important goals for us this season."

Last night Lucas was comfortably leading the voting on Liverpool's website to be their Player of the Month for November. The 24-year-old has started 12 of Liverpool's 13 Premier League games this season, and three of their four in the Carling Cup; no outfield player has played more across the two competitions. Without Lucas, youngster Jay Spearing, who has not started in the league this season, is likely to have to be promoted to partner Adam.

Steven Gerrard could also play alongside Adam in midfield but the 31-year-old is currently out with an ankle infection. He has been missing for more than one month, having returned in September after a six-month absence with a recurring groin injury.

Enrique Won't Consider England Switch

Spanish fullback Jose Enrique has revealed his Liverpool team-mates are trying to persuade him to switch allegiance and play for England.

Enrique, 25, has impressed at Anfield following his summer transfer from Newcastle United but has yet to win a cap for Spain, the current European and world champions.

Compatriot Manuel Almunia and Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini had been linked with similar switches in the past but neither ever played international football, although Enrique is adamant he still wants to represent the country of his birth.

"Some team-mates have told me to apply for British citizenship but I'm not thinking about doing that because I'm Spanish and I'll either play for Spain or nobody," he said.

"I want to play for Spain. Playing for a club like Liverpool makes you think you'll have more chance of representing your country but it is Vicente del Bosque who decides and I just have to focus on playing well for my club."

And on that note, the left-back is also confident that Liverpool are progressing, something that could give his international credentials a further boost.

"We've gone a year-and-a-half without losing to the Premier League's big four teams. We're doing OK but we can be better. Liverpool should be aspiring to be in the Champions League.

"Winning the Premier League is difficult because there are so many strong teams but you can see now that the ones playing in the Champions League are suffering a bit. We are going to try to take advantage of that."

Enrique has experienced a dramatic turnaround during his time in England. He was signed for Newcastle in 2007 by Sam Allardyce but it took a long time for him to become established.

Suso Sinks Wolves

Spanish starlet Suso was on the mark as Liverpool Reserves maintained their excellent form with a 1-0 win at Wolves.

Rodolfo Borrell's side was full value for the victory as they made it four wins out of their last five league games.

Jon Flanagan gave an impressive display during his 90 minute run-out in a central midfield role while Nathan Eccleston started in attack.

The match was played in difficult conditions with a narrow pitch but the young Reds showed great character and determination.

Wolves went into the game on the back of two wins and one draw against Arsenal, but Borrell's charges did the club proud on the night.

Reflecting on the win, Borrell said: "It was a bit of a scrappy game but we scored a good goal and did well.

"The lads had to work hard against a physical side who played a lot of long balls, but we kept them out and this was a good victory for us."

Liverpool team: Hansen, Mendy (Roberts 55), Smith, Sama, Wisdom, Coady, Suso, Flanagan, Eccleston (Ngoo 64), Adorjan (Silva 75), Sterling. Subs not used: Roddan, Belford.

Match Report: Chelsea 0 - 2 Liverpool

Craig Bellamy steered Liverpool into the Carling Cup semi-finals to heap further pressure on under-fire Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Bellamy's pinpoint delivery set up second-half goals for Maxi Rodriguez and Martin Kelly as the Reds took a step closer to winning their first silverware since 2006.

It completed an emotional return for Bellamy, who had been omitted from the squad for Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on compassionate grounds following the death of close friend Gary Speed.

The 32-year-old Wales winger provided the spark of creativity Liverpool needed to defeat toothless opposition who were prone to erratic defending.

The ineffectual Andy Carroll, who started at Stamford Bridge, missed a first-half penalty while Chelsea should have been awarded a clear spot-kick after just two minutes.

Villas-Boas will be disappointed by the poor defending that led to both goals and hastened Chelsea's third defeat in four matches, a sequence spanning just 10 days.

The Portuguese is now in a precarious position, with his future certain to attract fresh scrutiny as the Blues continue to flounder under his guidance.

Adding to Villas-Boas' woes was the performance of anonymous £50million striker Fernando Torres, who was a peripheral figure against his former club.

Kenny Dalglish has now never lost to Chelsea as Liverpool manager in 13 meetings, but that record would have been more seriously challenged had referee Phil Dowd not blundered in the third minute.

David Luiz had dashed into the area but just as he appeared to have rounded Sebastian Coates, he was caught by the Uruguayan's knee and tumbled over.

Dowd was unimpressed, however, and booked Luiz for diving.

Alex clattered into Bellamy in a feisty opening that soon settled down as both teams sought to pass their way into the final third.

Dowd did point to the penalty spot in the 21st minute and it was Liverpool who were the beneficiaries.

Alex blatantly handled the ball while under pressure from Carroll and Dowd hesitated before awarding the kick and booking the Chelsea defender.

Carroll, who had protested fiercely to Dowd, stepped up only to drill his effort straight at Ross Turnbull, allowing the Blues to wriggle off the hook.

Chelsea twice passed their way out of trouble in their own third of the pitch, but the same patterns were missing in the opposition's penalty area.

The limping Josh McEachran was replaced by Ramires in the 42nd minute, moments before Florent Malouda almost connected with a dangerous through-ball.

Dowd made another mistake by booking Ryan Bertrand for a nasty challenge on Jordan Henderson when it was Romelu Lukaku who caught the midfielder on the shin with his studs.

Lukaku then sent a header narrowly wide after being expertly teed up by Jose Bosingwa.

Bellamy almost released Carroll after dashing clear from his own half, but he overhit the pass and England marksman had no chance of connecting.

Lampard sent in a free-kick that caused panic in Liverpool's defence, with first the crossbar and then Coates coming to their rescue.

Luiz stopped Rodriguez in his tracks with a wonderful tackle as the former Argentina international charged into the area.

But Liverpool and Rodriguez could not be denied in the 58th minute when Liverpool surged into the lead.

Bellamy did the initial damage with a killer ball across goal - perhaps Luiz should have done more to prevent the pass - for Rodriguez to complete a simple tap-in.

Liverpool's large and noisy travelling contingent were back on their feet five minutes later as Liverpool grabbed a second.

Once more Bellamy supplied the ammunition - this time from a free-kick - and Kelly was given all the time in the world to nod home his first goal for the club.

Liverpool midfielder Lucas was stretchered off after going down in a tackle.

Torres was denied by the outstretched arms of keeper Pepe Reina, the Spain striker's most meaningful contribution to a match that had largely passed him by.

Bellamy left to a richly deserved standing ovation from visiting fans, who had earlier taunted Villas-Boas by chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning".

Lucas Awaits Knee Scan

Lucas Leiva is to undergo a scan following the knee injury he suffered against Chelsea, according to Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish.

Lucas, 24, has been one of Liverpool's best performers this season but was stretchered off in the Carling Cup quarter-final victory over Chelsea following a challenge with Ryan Bertrand and now requires a scan.

"He's damaged his knee," Dalglish said. "We don't know what it is. We'll get him looked at and take it from there.

"We don't know what it is so rather than speculate we are best waiting until we get the proper diagnosis tomorrow or the next day and we'll let everybody know in due course. He needs to get it scanned."

Any injury setback to Lucas is a blow given Liverpool's impressive form and a lack of cover for their defensive midfielder.