Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson insists the club's fringe players will not be playing for their futures when they face Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League on Thursday night.
With regular starters Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher both sidelined through injury and Fernando Torres and Raul Meireles rested, the likes of Ryan Babel and Milan Jovanovic, as well as several youngsters, will be given the opportunity to stake their claim.
However, Roy Hodgson believes it would be unreasonable to judge the replacements simply on their performances against Steaua.
“I don’t think it would be fair,” he said.
“I think if you are going to be judged in that way you need to be playing with a large number of the more established players.”
Despite insisting that those involved weren’t playing for their Anfield future, Hodgson did urge his players to take the opportunity to impress him.
He added: “I wouldn’t want to say they are playing for their long-term futures but I think they have a great opportunity to show me that what I am seeing in training they are able to be produce in important matches.”
Hodgson also insisted that he is confident of his fringe players producing a good display, and pointed to their displays in the previous group games to show that he was justified in his selection.
“In the couple of games so far, away at Utrecht and Napoli, they [the fringe players] have not let me, the club or the fans down and I hope they will continue to do that in another difficult game.”
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