Match Preview: Liverpool vs Wolves

Steven Gerrard could return to Premier League action this weekend as Liverpool aim to put two consecutive league defeats behind them with victory over Wolves.

After back-to-back setbacks at Stoke and Tottenham, the Reds stopped the rot at Brighton in the Carling Cup on Wednesday and welcome Mick McCarthy's side to Anfield on Saturday for the return of league action.

Wolves were wounded in a surprise 3-0 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers last weekend, but went some way towards forgetting that loss with a backlash mauling of Millwall on Tuesday.

And they'll be out to replicate last season's success in Liverpool, having ended a 27-year wait for a win over the Reds as Stephen Ward sealed a 1-0 victory for Wolves in December 2010.

McCarthy's men have reason to be positive, too, as they're unbeaten on the road in four games and a fifth in succession will be a Premier League record for the club.

For Liverpool, boss Kenny Dalglish will hope to shore up a shaky defence which has conceded nine goals in seven games.

Dalglish has midfielder Charlie Adam available again after the Scot served a one-match ban at the Amex Stadium following his red card at Tottenham, but he faces a fight to keep his place with Gerrard now in the running for a central role.

The club captain played the last 15 minutes of the 2-1 win in what was his first appearance for six months after a lengthy injury lay-off, while Craig Bellamy's man of the match display in the game leaves him pushing for a start.

Martin Skrtel, who also served a ban at Brighton, is available again and he is expected to partner Jamie Carragher in central defence with Daniel Agger unavailable through a rib fracture.

Martin Kelly started in midweek and is expected to keep his place at right-back with Glen Johnson still yet to fully recover from a hamstring problem.

Wolves skipper Roger Johnson and striker Steven Fletcher will return to McCarthy's squad after their respective injuries.

Johnson missed the midweek 5-0 win over the Lions with a sore calf while Fletcher has recovered from a recent groin injury.

Kevin Foley (ankle), Jody Craddock (hamstring), Ronald Zubar (groin) and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (knee) are still sidelined.

Possible starting XIs:

Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Carragher, Enrique, Lucas, Adam, Bellamy, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez.

Wolves: Hennessey, Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Elokobi, Kightly, Henry, O'Hara, Jarvis, Ward, Doyle.

Home Soil Comforts Skrtel

Defender Martin Skrtel admits a degree of relief as Liverpool return to Anfield this weekend.

The Reds welcome Wolves on Saturday and Skrtel returns from a one-match ban after missing out on the club's 2-1 Carling Cup win at Brighton on Wednesday.

Slovakian Skrtel was red carded at Tottenham last week but he is looking forward to getting back to home soil after three away games on the trot.

"We always look forward to our home games because there is something special about playing at Anfield," Skrtel told the club's official website.

The 26-year-old, who scored Liverpool's second in a 3-1 win over Bolton last month, added: "It's a great feeling every time we win at home and hopefully we can do that on Saturday.

"The crowd is always behind us and it was special for me to score in our last home game against Bolton.

"We know Wolves have a few good players and they started the season well but if we play like we did against Bolton at Anfield we know we are more than capable of getting the win."

Liverpool Told £20m Enough To Land Brazil's Midfield Starlet

Despite being one of the busiest clubs in the summer transfer window it appears as though Liverpool could continue to spend when the January transfer window opens.

The club is being strongly linked with a move for Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas who is considered one of the hottest properties in Brazilian football.

The 19-year-old is being chased by a number of European clubs who all hope to persuade the midfielder to make the move away from South America.

The youngster has been earning rave reviews for both Sao Paulo and Brazil having already made seven appearances for his national side including being included in the squad for last summers Copa America.

The attacking midfielder has cored 14 league goals in 51 appearances for Sao Paulo, including four goals in his last seven appearances for the club as well as four assists.

Tottenham and Italian outfit Roma are also interested in signing the midfielder, whose full name is Lucas Rodrigues Moura da Silva, and are also considering bidding for the player in January.

The Brazilian club have revealed that they would be willing to let the player leave, but will demand in the region of £20million for the midfield star.

Liverpool has a host of midfielders, but it appears they are still keen to bring young, talented players to the club and could move for Lucas in January.

Liverpool Ponder Sensational £25m Move For Playmaker

Liverpool is considering a move for attacking midfielder Marek Hamsik, according to reports.

The Slovakian international has been earning rave reviews for Napoli and is currently being watched by Liverpool scouts.

Reports suggest the Reds are considering a move for Hamsik this January after watching the 24-year old help Napoli earn a draw against Manchester City last week.

The 24-year old was excellent for the Italian outfit, who earned a hard earned point in their Champions League opener.

However, Liverpool will have to fight off interest from AC Milan who is also keen to land the talented midfielder.

The former Slovan Bratislava helped Partenopei finish third last season, scoring 13 goals in the process.

Craig Bellamy Excited By Luis Suarez Link-Up

Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy is looking forward to getting the chance to play alongside the "impressive" Luis Suarez more often.

The Uruguay international helped him open his account in just his third appearance since re-joining the club in the summer, against Brighton in midweek.

Bellamy's last competitive goal came for Cardiff on the final day of the npower Championship regular season on May 7.

But after being given his first start in Wednesday's 2-1 Carling Cup win, and a chance to link up with the player who has played a huge part in the club's rejuvenation since manager Kenny Dalglish took over in January, the Wales international was delighted to be up and running early.

"I managed to link up with Luis Suarez who is such an impressive player and it was a good feeling," he said. "It was a nice goal and I was pleased with it."

Dalglish Warning Over Gerrard

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has urged Fabio Capello to show restraint when it comes to deciding whether or not to select Steven Gerrard for England's Euro 2012 qualifier in Montenegro on October 7.

England need a point from the fixture in order to guarantee their place at the tournament and, for that reason, Capello will be eager to get his strongest XI out on the field.

Whether midfielder Gerrard will attain 100% fitness by the time of the Montenegro fixture is up for debate, as he made only his first appearance of the season against Brighton on Wednesday, having been laid low for six months following a groin operation.

And Dalglish has asked Capello to think hard before placing his faith in Gerrard. "I don't pick England's team, so whatever they have to do, they have to do," Dalglish said. "I would just hope that they'd be as intelligent as what we have been."

Meanwhile, Dalglish has underlined the importance of easing Gerrard back in to the first-team picture slowly. The Scot moved for Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam in the summer, meaning he now has a wealth of options in central midfield, even in the absence of Gerrard.

"It's fantastic for the football club that Steven's back, but the most important thing for the club is Steven himself," Dalglish said. "We need to continue in the intelligent manner that we have done. There'll be no timescale, we'll just take it as it comes."

Dalglish: Club Bigger Than Carroll

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's return from injury briefly deflected the spotlight away from striker Andy Carroll but manager Kenny Dalglish knows it is bound to return.

The club's £35million record signing has yet to score in five Barclays Premier League appearances - three of which have been starts - with his only goal so far coming against League One Exeter in the Carling Cup.

Carroll was left on the bench in midweek for the fourth-round tie at Brighton and with Craig Bellamy, Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt combining well together it only prompted more questions about how the England international fits in to Liverpool's pass-and-move approach.

In fairness to Carroll he was one of the nine men who had to play the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 runaround Tottenham gave them at last weekend and probably warranted a rest.

And Dalglish put little significance by his decision to rest his record signing, although he now has a selection dilemma for Saturday's visit of Wolves.

"Andy is a professional footballer who understands what goes on in football," said the Reds boss.

"He worked really hard at Tottenham. It was a bad performance and a bad day for us.

"We don't have a team, we have a squad. There will be times when someone will play and others won't.

"Sometimes you'll be lucky and sometimes you'll be unlucky.

"But the football club is more important than one individual - including myself.

"I'm sure the players realize that. Although there will be a disappointment if you aren't playing, I think there's an understanding as well."

Dalglish added no-one should be surprised a side with seven changes - particularly the trio of Suarez, Bellamy and Kuyt - should play so well at Brighton.

"They train together every day and they get that understanding there. They then look to transfer it into the match," he said.

"We have a look at them every day and work out who does well together.

"If you get intelligent footballers playing together you have a good chance of getting a good performance from them and certainly we got that."

Dalglish believes it is important to learn from the Tottenham performance but not dwell on it as they face a Wolves side who have also lost their last two matches and won at Anfield last season during the final miserable throes of Roy Hodgson's short-lived reign.

"We know it was not acceptable (at Tottenham) but the good thing is that the players realize it is not acceptable," he said.

"We don't get carried away with the victories we have and we won't get suicidal over the defeats we have either.

"At the same time we have to address the problems, if we have them, and we will do. We'll do it properly and professionally.

"We'll try and get ourselves back up and running on Saturday.

"I think Mick McCarthy will be a bit disappointed at the moment as they've lost two league games back to back, like us, after a very good start.

"They came here last year and played very well and went away with a 1-0 victory.

"I think he'll be encouraged by that and he'll be looking for more of the same from his players.

"He'll look to repeat what he did here at Anfield with regards to how he sets his team up."

Bellamy Has The Hunger - Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish feels returning striker Craig Bellamy has "unfinished business" at Liverpool.

Bellamy scored in the 2-1 Carling Cup win against Brighton on Wednesday after being given his first start since re-signing for the Anfield club last month.

Despite the 32-year-old's reputation for having trouble follow him wherever he goes, Dalglish has had nothing but praise for a player they picked up for nothing after Manchester City agreed to cancel the final year of his contract.

Bellamy left Anfield in 2007 after just one season but Dalglish believes he has returned with a determination to do better than his first brief spell, in which he scored nine goals.

"We knew what we were getting when Craig came in. We've said many times before what Craig brings to this football club," said the Scot.

"He had a year out last year when he played at Cardiff rather than in the Barclays Premier League and I think we are getting the benefit of that because he has got a hunger to come in and impress.

"He's got a desire because maybe he went away with a bit of unfinished business the last time he left here.

"So he's got a desire to relight that and we'll get the benefit of it.

"He'll make a contribution to the football club over the length of his contract and hopefully Wednesday night was just the beginning for him.

"He loves playing football and is really enthusiastic. He wants to do well and we'll help him to do that all that we can."

David Amoo Joins Bury On One Month Loan

Reserve Liverpool Forward David Amoo joined League One club Bury on a one month loan on Friday. The 20-year-old could play for Bury as early as Saturday, when they host the MK Dons, Liverpoolfc.tv reports.

The speedy forward, who also plays on both wings, joined the Reds' academy in July 2007 from Milwall's youth setup for an undisclosed fee.

He spent two years in the LFC academy and played a key role in the team’s march to the 2009 FA Youth Cup final.

Amoo was promoted to the reserve team for the 2009-10 season, during which he played 16 games and scored three goals.

He signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in the summer of 2010 and made his first-team debut in a Europa League qualifier against Macedonia’s Rabotnicki. He spent the rest of the fall in the reserves, before a January 2011 move to League One side MK Dons on a one month long loan. He played three games for the Dons during that spell.

He returned to the Reds' reserve squad for February and joined Championship side Hull City in March on a loan deal through the end of the season. He played seven games for the Tigers, scoring one goal.

The move to Bury will give Amoo much needed match experience. Young players cannot fully develop without playing games and, if he succeeds at Bury, he could join a Championship team on loan for a longer spell. If that goes well, a move to a Premiership team could be on offer for part of the 2011-12 season.

This best case scenario could have Amoo return to Liverpool in the summer of 2012 as a more seasoned professional, who can challenge for a place in the first team in the 2012-13 campaign.

Thommo Backs LFC Initiative

Phil Thompson and comedian Chris Cairns were the guests of honour at a celebratory men's health event held at Anfield on Thursday afternoon.

The duo enjoyed good-natured banter with over 100 attendees proving that laughter really can be the best medicine.

The occasion, which was funded by the Barclays Premier league, the Football Pools and Liverpool PCT, was a fitting way to celebrate another year of this successful men's health program aimed at helping Liverpool men of all ages to improve their lifestyle.

Mark Haig, LFC 'Action for Health' Program Manager, explained why Liverpool Football Club have helped to make a key impact upon the health of members of the local community.

He said: "This LFC Men's Health program is a fantastic example of a partnership working that is making a real difference to the everyday lives of men in our community.

"It's a real team effort. Men have made some small but significant lifestyle changes that can have big benefits for their general health and wellbeing."

The partnership aims to reduce health issues relating to national statistics that show that men are more at risk to ill health than women.

Indeed, 40 per cent of men are more likely to die from cancer than women while 42 per cent do not live beyond the age of 75 years.

Some of the key targets of the partnership include: encouraging men not take risks with their health; to be aware of signs and symptoms; to keep a healthy body weight and to consider small practical lifestyle changes in relation to diet, physical activity, alcohol intake, smoking etc.

Match Report: Brighton 1 - 2 Liverpool

Craig Bellamy's inspired performance helped Liverpool secure progression to the Carling Cup fourth round as they condemned Brighton to their first competitive defeat at the Amex Stadium.

The 32-year-old flourished on his second full debut for the club, having rejoined the Reds from Manchester City in the summer.

Bellamy broke the deadlock in the seventh minute with a neat finish from an awkward angle and performed with aplomb throughout, including a superb 30-yard free-kick that rattled the crossbar.

Despite having overcome Sunderland in the previous round, the Seagulls never looked likely to add another Premier League scalp in the first half but improved greatly after the break.

Craig Noone's superb curling effort hit the crossbar shortly after the restart and Ashley Barnes scored a late penalty, although Dirk Kuyt had already put the tie out of reach.

The Holland international was put free by Maxi Rodriguez with less than 10 minutes remaining and finished strongly to the delight of the 2,403 visiting Liverpool fans, who also saw talisman Steven Gerrard make his first appearance since March.

Heading into the match Kenny Dalglish made seven charges to the side that started Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Tottenham, with summer signings Sebastian Coates and Bellamy both handed their first Liverpool starts this season.

Brighton, who face Leeds in the npower Championship on Friday evening, also made alterations, with Gus Poyet handing a full debut for Steve Cook as part of his five changes from the side beaten 1-0 at Leicester.

The third-round encounter was the pair's first meeting in more than 20 years and one that Liverpool started strongly.

Jay Spearing blazed a long-range shot over in the fourth minute and only a last-ditch tackle prevented Rodriguez prodding goalwards after a melee in the box.

Liverpool's pressure paid dividends in just the seventh minute when Luis Suarez poked the ball through to Bellamy, who finished neatly from a tight angle.

The visitors continued to attack after breaking the deadlock and Kuyt saw a fierce shot blocked by Gordon Greer.

The Dutchman almost snuck in at the back post soon after and then had a shot cleared off the line from the resulting corner.

The visitors' attacking intent had Brighton pinned back and they came agonizingly close to doubling their advantage in the 26th minute.

Poyet's defence was being given a torrid time by fellow Uruguayan Suarez, who shot inches wide when up against goalkeeper Casper Ankergren.

The 24-year-old again came close six minutes later, glancing an inswinging Bellamy free-kick just wide of the far post.

The Welshman saw a rasping 30-yard free-kick rattle the crossbar as half-time approached, before Ankergren was forced to tip Spearing's superb left-footed drive onto the post.

Despite Liverpool's dominance of the opening period, the Seagulls almost equalized with their first attack of the game but Martin Kelly's last-ditch tackle in the six-yard box thwarted the home side.

They looked rejuvenated after the break and two minutes in Noone's 25-yard curling effort hit the crossbar.

Jose Reina was well beaten by the former Liverpool junior but was on his toes to save from Matthew Sparrow from close range shortly afterwards.

Brighton continued to press forward but saw attacking threat Will Buckley forced off in the 60th minute with a knock, resulting in former Spain international Vicente Rodriguez coming on for his debut.

Liverpool made a change of their own with 16 minutes remaining as Gerrard made his long-awaited return from a groin injury in place of Suarez.

The south coast side continued to search for an equalizer but Kuyt seemingly put the match out reach with less than 10 minutes remaining, latching onto Rodriguez's pass to beat Ankergren.

Substitute Barnes pulled one back from the spot in the 89th minute after Jamie Carragher was adjudged to have fouled Vicente, although the goal proved a mere consolation.

Kenny Delighted By Response

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish praised the way his side responded to back-to-back league defeats with a Carling Cup win over tricky Brighton on Wednesday.

Dalglish fielded a strong side against the Championship outfit and the Reds progressed to the fourth round with a 2-1 win at the Apex Stadium.

Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt were on target in a game which marked the return of Steven Gerrard, who replaced Luis Suarez with 15 minutes remaining.

It was exactly the reply Dalglish had hoped for, having seen his side suffer consecutive defeats in the Premier League to Stoke and Tottenham, who embarrassed Liverpool with a 4-0 mauling at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

"For us, it was a fantastic response to what happened to us on Sunday - we're delighted," Dalglish told Sky Sports.

"I've great respect for Brighton, what Gus Poyet has achieved, and we wish them well for the season.

"Liverpool, in the first half, played some fantastic football. In the second half, Brighton had most of the play but Pepe [Reina] didn't have much of a save to make.

"They're a good side Brighton, they're well organized and have a bit of pace about them. We had to play really well to get through and the lads deserve great credit for the way they played."

After a late penalty which saw Brighton threaten a push for extra-time, Dalglish was relieved not to have Gerrard's cameo appearance turn into a 45-minute workout.

The Reds boss admitted had Liverpool been more comfortable earlier in the game, he may have handed Gerrard more time, but he insists the club cannot afford to be "irresponsible" with the club captain.

"If it had been four or five maybe we could have given him a wee bit longer but there was no way it was ever going to be four or five," said Dalglish.

Gerrard May Have To Settle For Liverpool Bench Role, Hints Dalglish

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has hinted that Steven Gerrard may have to wait for a return to the starting XI, despite the midfielder making his comeback in the 2-1 win at Brighton.

The influential Reds skipper has sat out almost six months with a persistent groin injury, but came through his long-awaited return unscathed after replacing Luis Suarez with 15 minutes remaining.

The Merseysiders have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, and many fans are desperate for Gerrard to return to action, but Dalglish insists that while he’s pleased to have his captain available again, he won’t be taking any unnecessary risks.

‘We'll manage Stevie as we manage everybody else - we're not going to be irresponsible by throwing him in for more minute than he needs,’ said the Reds boss.

‘He's made terrific progress and we're looking forward to that continuing. We won't spoil it by being irresponsible, but it gives everybody a lift.’

Liverpool entertains Wolves at home on Saturday, and will have Charlie Adam available for selection after he served his one-match ban for his red card against Spurs last weekend.

Bellamy's Goal Delight

Craig Bellamy today spoke of his delight after scoring his first goal since his return to Anfield as Liverpool booked their place in the fourth round of the Carling Cup after a 2-1 win at Brighton.

It was the Welsh forward's first strike in a red shirt since his famous Champions League effort at Barcelona in February 2007, and he also played a major role in the vital second goal which saw Dirk Kuyt fire home.

"It was a nice goal and I was pleased with it," Bellamy told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"I managed to link up with Luis Suarez who is such an impressive player and it was a good feeling.

"I thought we steamrollered them in the first half. Our movement and everything was outstanding, but it just proves that when you are so on top you need to score the second and third goal.

"We faded in the second half and they played well. We gave them the incentive but we knew it was going to be a hard fought game.

"It was a bit of relief for us when we got the second goal on the break but we are delighted to get through.

"We had a lot of players out there like myself who needed the 90 minutes and I enjoyed it."

As to how far Liverpool can go in the Carling Cup this season, Liverpool's No.39 prefers to take things one step at a time.

He added: "We've still got a long way to go in the competition and we will try our best. We'll look forward to Saturday's draw now and see who we get."

Bellamy also reflected on his moment of magic which almost provided him with a September Goal of the Month contender when he sent a rasping 40-yard free-kick onto the bar.

"I thought it was in for a minute," he said.

"I've tried it a few times over the last few years which have gone quite well for me. The way these new balls move means if you catch it right you can score.

"Maybe I'll have a bit more luck next time but the most important thing was the team won."

Steven Gerrard Insists Liverpool Must Take Every Competition Seriously

Steven Gerrard has revealed that Liverpool are taking every cup competition seriously after manager Kenny Dalglish put out a strong side in their 2-1 victory over Brighton in the League Cup.

t was the Reds captain's first appearance after spending six months on the sidelines through injury, and he insisted that being at Liverpool is "all about winning trophies".

"For a club like Liverpool, we haven't been to a major cup final for a long time, so we've got to take every cup seriously - especially when there's no Europe - it makes it a little bit easier to put stronger sides out," he said after the match.

"Kenny's assembled a fantastic squad and now we've got a couple of good players in every position, so even when he mixes it round or rests people we can still put a strong side out like you saw tonight."

He continued: "It's drilled into you from a young boy when you play for Liverpool. It's all about winning trophies and that's the reason why we've got to take every cup seriously - that was the message from the manager tonight before we went out.

"We want to be one step closer to a major cup final and we've delivered tonight. As the captain I'd love nothing more than to get to Wembley with the lads and lift the cup."

"I've been really happy with what I've seen since Kenny's come in. There's been a lot of happy faces around the training ground, and the supporters are happy and I think 90 per cent of the performances have been fantastic.

"If you take Tottenham away and it's exactly what I've been hoping for, and that makes you even more desperate and hungry to get back and get in amongst the lads.

"So it's been frustrating, but it's also been nice to see that the lads have been progressing well and the signings we've made have been good; from top to bottom at the club now everyone's smiling."

Gerrard was also happy with the dominance Liverpool displayed in the first half, and the performance of Craig Bellamy, who scored his first goal since rejoining the Anfield club.

The captain added: "I thought in the first half we were fantastic, we could have had the game dead and buried and been three or four up, but you know in these cup ties the opposition are always going to have a spell of pressure.

"Credit to Gus Poyet, he's got a fantastic team here who play well and they'll probably find themselves hard done by that they didn't take us to extra time. Though that wouldn't have been the end of the world, I'd have got an extra 30 minutes.

"But we're glad to be in the draw for the next round, and looking forward to Saturday to see who we get in the draw.

"It's a fantastic performance from [Bellamy], that's why we've signed him.

"He's got pace, he's always dangerous, it was a great finish for his goal and he's unlucky not to score a worldie when he's cracked the bar so we're really pleased to have him here and I think the fans have had a taste of what he's going to offer us for the rest of the season."

African Hitman Makes Liverpool Comparison

Cameroonian international striker Samuel Eto'o has compared his new club's supporters to those of Liverpool.

The former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward became the highest-paid footballer when completing a move to Russia this summer, with Anzhi Makhachkala splashing out on the 30-year-old.

Concerns were raised over the reception the player would receive from supporters after the move was confirmed, but Eto'o admitted that both he and his teammates were grateful to their 2,000 traveling fans in the 1-0 defeat at Kuban.

The striker went as far as to compare the support to that of Liverpool at Anfield, a ground and atmosphere the player has sampled on a number of occasions in Champions League competition.

"Of course I felt their support," Eto'o told Anzhi's official website

"My team-mates and I personally are very thankful to them. Owing to our supporters we never feel lonely in away matches.

"They're like Liverpool fans with their famous hymn, 'You'll Never Walk Alone'."

Steven Gerrard Ready To End Liverpool Nightmare

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has expressed his delight about returning to action for the club, after describing his six-month injury lay-off as a “nightmare”.

"It's been a nightmare for me,” Gerrard lamented. “I'm not the best when I'm out injured and watching games.

"It's been tough and the last six months have been a rollercoaster. It's behind me now and I'm looking forward to getting match fit and getting back in the starting line-up.

"I'd been out a long time and it was fantastic to be out there in that kit again and it was nice to get a win as well."

The England midfielder has been sidelined since March with a groin injury after suffering a number of setbacks in his recovery. Dalglish was careful not to risk the inspirational midfielder but put him on for the final 20 minutes of Wednesday night's game.

Liverpool will return to Premier League duty this weekend and will look to get their title ambitions back on track following back-to-back defeats to Stoke and Tottenham.

And Dalglish has claimed Gerrard's return has given everyone at the club a lift but said he would not rush his recovery.

“Steven coming back in was fantastic for everyone connected with the football club,” Dalglish said.

“But we’re more pleased for Steven than anyone else because he has worked really hard to get here, he has had a few disappointments along the way and just to get the 20 minutes would have given him a lift.

“We’ll manage his situation as well as we have done to get him this far. We want the same as what he wants but we’ll need to be careful with it and we’ll not get carried away by the fact that he’s back for 20 minutes.”

Youngsters Suffer Wolfsburg Woe

Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the NextGen Series knockout stage have suffered a blow following a 2-0 defeat in Wolfsburg on Wednesday night.

Two goals inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half did the damage as the Germans picked up the victory that saw them join the Reds on four points and move into joint-second place in Group 2.

Rodolfo Borrell's youngsters had gone into the contest expecting a tough encounter, but they dominated the first period and should have gone ahead when both Toni Silva and Suso missed good chances.

Raheem Sterling then had three one-on-one situations with the Wolfsburg goalkeeper but failed to find the net on each occasion.

The hosts had illustrated the quality they had at their disposal in last week's 1-1 draw at Anfield and they made the Reds pay for their profligacy within two minutes of the restart.

Andax Guleryuz sized up a free-kick 25 yards from goal before crashing home a superb strike that gave stopper Tyrell Belford no chance.

It was harsh on the visitors, particularly given their first-half pressure, but it got even worse just moments later when the German outfit doubled their advantage with a well-worked move.

Giovanni Millemaci raced down the left, cut inside and unleashed a fine shot that fizzed into the corner.

Liverpool pushed to force their way back into the contest but once again their finishing was lacking.

Sterling hit the crossbar while Adam Morgan and Silva both went close as Wolfsburg rode their luck to claim a somewhat fortuitous triumph.

Liverpool U19s/Reserves: Belford, McLaughlin, Sama, Wisdom, Smith, Coady, Roddan, Sterling, Suso, Silva, Ngoo.

Match Preview: Brighton vs Liverpool

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat to Tottenham when they take on Championship high-flyers Brighton in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.

The Reds made a bright start to the season but their good early work has been undone to some extent following back-to-back losses against Stoke and Spurs in the Premier League.

Having gone down 4-0 at White Hart Lane on Sunday, Kenny Dalglish will be determined to return to winning ways at the Amex Stadium and make it through to the last 16 of the Carling Cup.

And Dalglish will be boosted by the return of inspirational captain Steven Gerrard, who is poised to make his first appearance in six months following groin surgery.

New signing Sebastian Coates is likely to be given a full debut in central defence while Craig Bellamy could get his first start since returning to the club last month.

Midfielder Charlie Adam and defender Martin Skrtel serve one-match bans after red cards against Tottenham.

Brighton will use the match as an opportunity to further measure their progress, having earned promotion to the Championship at the end of last season and made a fine start to life in the second tier.

Gus Poyet's side were beaten 1-0 by Leicester on Saturday but remain third in the standings and will now hope for a further boost by claiming a famous cup victory.

Poyet has admitted Brighton will need a 'perfect' performance if they are to prevail, but he will be forced into at least one change for the visit of the Reds.

Former Tottenham defender Mauricio Taricco, now Albion's assistant manager, is poised to start at left-back as Marcos Painter is suspended.

Painter was sent off for two yellow cards during Saturday's defeat at Leicester and serves a one-match ban.

Striker Will Hoskins has finally recovered from the hip injury which has sidelined him since the opening day of the season, while former Spain midfielder Vicente has been building up his fitness after joining as a free agent last month and could be added to the squad.

Poyet must also decide whether to risk young defender Lewis Dunk, who is one booking away from a ban.

Dalglish Seeks Response At Brighton

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish says his players are determined to repay the fans for the club's disappointing loss at the weekend when they take on Brighton in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.

Liverpool slumped to a 4-0 Premier League defeat versus Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday in a game at White Hart Lane that saw Reds duo Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel sent off to leave the Reds with a mountain to climb.

Dalglish is now seeking a response from his charges in their midweek outing at Championship side Brighton, with club captain Steven Gerrard's pencilled in return from injury set to boost Liverpool.

He said: "The fans supported us fantastically and I think the boys will bear that in mind and look forward to repaying them in some way. Sunday didn't please anybody and the players were really disappointed.

"We have got to get ourselves right and concentrate on ourselves. We are pleased to be in the Carling Cup and our intention is to stay in it for as long as we possibly can."