Arsenal & Liverpool Facing Fight Over Argentine International

Arsenal and Liverpool face competition from Premier League rivals Southampton in the race to sign Lucas Biglia, according to reports.

The Daily Mirror claims new Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino has set his sights on the seven-cap Argentine international, and is eager to bring his compatriot to St. Mary’s in the January transfer window.

Pochettino tried to sign the player whilst in La Liga, and is again chasing the Anderlecht star now his home is on the south coast in the Premier League.

However, the former Espanyol chief faces competition for the £8million-rated midfielder, with both the Gunners and Reds also keen on the 26-year-old.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been heavily linked with a move for the player for years, with Sky Sports reporting in August that he was first keen on Biglia back in 2006.

His pursuit of the former Independiete star failed in the summer though, as Alex Song departed the Emirates Stadium for pastures new in Barcelona.

Six months later, the link to Arsenal has returned, and Biglia would certainly add more bite to the Arsenal midfield if he were to move to north London.

Liverpool, meanwhile, is another club to have been linked with the holding-midfielder for several months.

Indeed, The Daily Mail claimed in December that Anfield chief Brendan Rodgers had been put on alert over the player after Anderlecht told Biglia he could leave in January.

If Liverpool do want to add the Argentine on Merseyside, they know that there is plenty of competitors standing in their way though, and a transfer battle could ensue over the coming week.

Liverpool & Juventus Scout A-League Star

Liverpool and Juventus are set to send scouts to watch Melbourne Victory star Marco Rojas this weekend, according to Sky Sports.

The 21-year-old forward is the Australian A-League's most exciting talent, and local reports claim Liverpool and Juventus scouts will be in attendance for Melbourne Victory's match against Sydney FC this Saturday.

The New Zealand international has a contract with the Victory that expires in three months' time, and both clubs are likely to make bids in the region of £500,000 if Rojas makes a position impression at the weekend.

The Kiwi forward is of Chilean descent, and having bagged 10 goals in just 15 league games for his side this season, is one of the hottest properties Down Under.

Melbourne Victory are keen to keep hold of Rojas, and head coach Ange Postecoglou has claimed he is unaware of any interest in the player from abroad.

Still, he conceded that Rojas could be sold for the right price.

"I'm in contact with his dad very regularly and at this stage we're confident he'll stay with us until the end of the season," Postecoglou told the Herald Sun.

"At this stage we're comfortable with how he's going and where things are at."

Liverpool made the first major move of the January transfer window when they snapped up Danny Sturridge from Chelsea for a fee in the region of £12m.

Sturridge has gone on to make an immediate impact for the Reds, scoring in each of his first three appearances for his new club.

But Rojas would be more one for the future. The Melbourne Victory attacker joined the club from Wellington Phoenix in 2011, and the New Zealand international has made 13 appearances for his country, scoring one goal.

£5m Liverpool Keeper Link Dismissed

The agent of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has played down speculation linking his client to Liverpool.

Jorge Berlanga insists that, whilst many clubs are interested in the 27-year-old stopper, transfer talk is nothing more than rumour at this stage.

"Many clubs are interested in Memo, and they have been watching him, but we are still at the stage of rumours," Berlanga told So Foot.

A 50-cap international, the Ajaccio star has been linked with both Manchester United and Arsenal in the past, according to Goal.com, and was recently tipped as a player to potentially replace Pepe Reina at Anfield.

Indeed, talkSPORT reported yesterday (Monday) that Brendan Rodgers was considering a £5million move for the player amidst talk that Reina could leave Liverpool for Spanish giants Barcelona at the end of the season.

A move for Ochoa would be seen as something of a gamble by the Anfield outfit however, with the Ligue 1 star yet to play in European cup competition during his career.

And, whilst his form has been impressive for the French strugglers, a move to Liverpool would represent a significant move up the football ladder for the former Club America keeper.

Liverpool Confident Of Securing Move For Coutinho

Liverpool is confident of making Inter Milan attacking midfielder Phillipe Coutinho their second signing of the January transfer window this week, reports suggest.

The Liverpool Echo report that the Reds had an opening offer in the region of £5 million rejected by the Nerazzurri, who told Brendan Rodgers’ side to increase their offer for the Brazilian. According to the Echo, Liverpool are expected to do just that sooner rather than later.

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was the man to originally bring the 20-year-old to European football, signing the youngster from Vasco De Gama in 2010 for £3 million. Coutinho, who has been capped once at senior level for his nation and made 27 appearances for Inter since his arrival at the San Siro, also spending a hugely successful half a season out on loan to La Liga outfit Espanyol this time last year.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert was keen on bringing the attacking midfielder to the Premier League earlier in the transfer window, but a loan move to the relegation-threatened side failed to transpire.

Liverpool is confident of securing their second incoming transfer following the £12 million acquisition of Daniel Sturridge at the start of the month.

Reina Snr Urges Son To Trade Liverpool For Barcelona

Miguel Reina, father of Liverpool shot stopper Pepe Reina, is certain that his son would jump at the opportunity to replace Victor Valdes at Barcelona.

Valdes, who has been Barca’s number one custodian for the past decade revealed last week that he has no plans to renew his contract at the club when his current deal expires in the summer of 2014.

Miguel, who made 111 appearances for the Catalan giants between 1966 and 1973 before moving to Atletico Madrid, strongly believes that his son would be willing to call time on his career at Anfield if the opportunity to become Valdes’ replacement arose.

"I am absolutely convinced that Pepe would be more than delighted to return to his Barcelona, where they made him into an upstanding man from the time he arrived at the age of 12 until he left,” Reina Snr said, Spanish newspaper Marca report.

"I say it publicly: I would be delighted to see Pepe back at Barca, of course I would. What father would not like to see his son at Barca?

"He has already been there but to return would be extraordinary.

Hearts Eye Liverpool Striker Michael Ngoo

Liverpool’s Michael Ngoo is one of several strikers being monitored by Hearts as they consider whether to reinforce their attack with another loan move. The Evening News has learned that Ngoo’s name is on a shortlist of potential targets from south of the Border.

The 20-year-old has been watched several times by the Hearts manager John McGlynn and director of football John Murray in recent months. He is an England Under-19 and Under-20 internationalist, 6ft 4in tall and is known for his lightning pace and physical presence up front.

He is able to play as a lone striker or as part of a two or three-man attack. Hearts have yet to decide whether to move for Ngoo or go for one of the other options on their list.

As revealed recently, McGlynn is keen to recruit a new striker if possible. Hearts are restricted by the SPL to signing under-21 players on a one-in-one-out basis.

Having replaced Ryan McGowan with Danny Wilson from Liverpool, they could return to Anfield to broker 
another loan agreement with Peter Enckelman’s place in the squad still open.

Ngoo joined Liverpool in September 2009 from Southend United for a fee potentially worth up to £250,000. He scored 15 goals in 21 games for Liverpool’s under-18s in season 2010/11, which earned him promotion to the club’s reserve squad. He was also part of the England’s squad for the Under-20 World Cup in Colombia in 2011.

McGlynn’s dealings with the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, over Wilson were smooth and uncomplicated, and today he praised the Northern Irishman for allowing the centre-back to move north until the end of the season.

“I have to thank Liverpool and Brendan for being so co-operative and allowing Danny to come here,” he said.

“We’d earmarked Danny for some time and had been down watching some games, but it was just coincidence that the transfer ban was lifted.

“Fortunately for us, Danny falls into that under-21 category.”

Wigan Interested In Coates

Wigan have gained a reputation for giving their best performances after putting themselves at risk of relegation.

As the Latics sit in 19th place after 23 games this season, manager Roberto Martinez is planning a few loan signings with Premier League experience under their belt to help pull off their signature escape yet again.

The Telegraph quoted Martinez as saying, “I’ll have to address this in the transfer market. It is difficult for a foreign player to come in January and make an impact.”

The Wigan manager has already taken young Man United forward Angelo Henriquez on loan and he is now reportedly looking at defensive reinforcements in the form of Liverpool’s Sebastian Coates.

The young Uruguayan has failed to make an impact at Anfield and with Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger playing for Liverpool on a regular basis, he could move to the DW Stadium for the rest of the season.

Liverpool Legend Unsure Over New Contract

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has revealed his frustration at the lack of first team opportunities afforded to him by manager Brendan Rodgers, and admits the Anfield veteran admits he is unsure if a new contract will be forthcoming at the end of the season.

Carragher has started only twice in the Premier League for Liverpool this term, with his most recent appearance coming in the 5-0 trouncing of Norwich on Saturday.

With 720 games played for Liverpool over the course of a career spanning 17 years, Carragher is behind only Ian Callaghan on the club's list of appearance makers, but the 34-year-old is having to become used to lack of regular action.

Despite being in the twilight of his professional years at 34-years-old, Carragher is as hungry to play for Liverpool as he has ever been, and is finding it difficult to accept being a peripheral figure.

"The manager has been great with me. He has tried to keep me involved," Carragher said, as reported by ESPN. "But listen, I want to start. I’m no different to any other player.

"[Norwich] was only my second start in the league this season, which is disappointing from my point of view, but I said I wouldn't complain and I’m just trying to get more starts and be involved between now and the end of the season.

"I've played a lot in Europe, the FA Cup and League Cup, but the Premier League is the most important thing for the club and the players. We all want to play in that, and I’m no different.

"I won't lie, it's been a difficult season for me in terms of starting games."

Carragher's current deal with Liverpool expires at the end of the season, and although the centre-back would prefer to stay at Anfield, he does not know what the future holds.

"I'll chat to the manager at the end of the season," Carragher added. "I'm open-minded and I'm sure the club is. It's not about what I’m going to do, that's something we can sort out one way or another.

"It's up to the manager and the club to make a decision about a new contract. It's down to them. I'm pleased I got a game at the weekend and I'll hope to get a few more games now."

Wilson Doesn't Regret Reds Move

New Hearts loan signing Danny Wilson admits his long-term future is likely to be away from Liverpool - but he believes he has improved as a player since moving to Anfield.

Wilson has made only nine first-team appearances for Liverpool since his multi-million pound move from Rangers in July 2010.

Then 18, Wilson had played 25 times for the Ibrox club, including in the Champions League, and won Scottish Premier League and League Cup winners' medals in his only season in the first team.

But he has no regrets about making the switch despite admitting his Anfield career looks likely to end when his contract expires in the summer.

"I wouldn't say it backfired," said Wilson, who made his Hearts debut in Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Celtic 24 hours after signing until the end of the campaign.

"I didn't play as much as I hoped when I went down there. But it served its purpose.

"I left Rangers with the intention to become a better football player. I feel I have done that so I don't think it backfired.

"I don't regret anything. I made the decision at the time and I have to stand by my decision.

"I've learned things that I don't know if I would have learned.

"I was playing against better players in training, the likes of (Luis) Suarez. You can only learn from that. I just want to put what I had into practice in games now."

Wilson, who has five full caps for Scotland, has not played under Brendan Rodgers and does not expect to.

"It's going to be difficult for me to have a future at Liverpool," the 21-year-old said.

"They have four centre-backs there who are fighting for two positions really.

"You see players who played in past seasons not playing as much now.

"I have not really managed to force my way in. My only thinking now is to get out and play and what happens, happens.

"But that's not for me to decide, if Brendan Rodgers wants me. If not I will do what's best for me, and what's best for me now is to be playing football."

Wilson only played a few minutes in his recent loan move to Bristol City, although a minor hamstring problem cut short his stay.

And he is just concentrating on playing first-team games rather than looking further ahead, with Saturday's Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final against Inverness next up.

"I'm not really thinking too much into the future, I'm just thinking about the here and now," Wilson said.

"I've not played much football recently so the most important thing is to get out and play.

"I'm at Hearts now and I am focusing on doing as well as I can for them.

"I'm a footballer who just wants to play football. I'm going to be out of contract and it's better for me to be playing.

"Whichever way it looks, whether it's a shop window or to do well at Hearts, I'm here to do both and hopefully they marry together."

Wilson would not rule out a longer-term stay at Hearts, but the club could struggle to put together a deal given they are set to further cut their playing budget in the summer.

"I don't see why not," when asked about the possibility of staying at Tynecastle.

"Time will tell. I need to do well first and foremost, I can't just assume I will be here for a few years. I need to earn that right.

"Anything that happens, happens, but the next few weeks and months are the most important thing for me right now."

Match Report: Liverpool 5 - 0 Norwich City

Norwich must be sick of the sight of striker Luis Suarez as he scored his seventh goal in three matches against them to help Liverpool return to winning ways.

The Canaries' nemesis, after hat-tricks in his previous two outings against them, struck the second after Jordan Henderson's well-taken opener.

New £12million signing Daniel Sturridge became the first Reds player since Ray Kennedy in 1974 to score in his first three matches before Steven Gerrard's strike and Ryan Bennett's own goal completed the rout.

It took Liverpool's tally against Norwich in the last three league matches to 13, most of which have gone to Suarez.

Only Ian Rush, with nine, has scored more goals against them for Liverpool.

Questions had been asked about whether Suarez, who now has 20 goals for the season, and Sturridge could play together and how manager Brendan Rodgers would accommodate the pair.

The Uruguay international dropped into a deeper role off the front man but it did not lessen his impact as he was a constant thorn in Norwich's side.

After a promising 45 minutes in the defeat at Old Trafford last week, the pair continued to build on their fledgling relationship with Sturridge's awareness and dummy for Suarez's goal the highlight.

With goalkeeper Jose Reina missing due to a thigh injury Norwich needed to take advantage but Bennett planted his early free-header from Robert Snodgrass's free-kick straight at stand-in Brad Jones.

From that point onwards it was virtually one-way traffic with Suarez and Sturridge combining early only for the latter to shoot straight at goalkeeper Mark Bunn.

By then Suarez was already running rings around the visitors - one brilliant backheel skill leaving Michael Turner completely bamboozled - and his low cross-shot was claimed by Bunn at the second attempt at his near post.

The South American's admission this week that he had dived in an attempt to win a penalty here in October had brought condemnation but against Norwich he appeared determined to stay on his feet.

That resulted in the opening goal as he avoided two crunching tackles, the second pushing the ball into the path of Henderson, who drove a first-time shot high past Bunn for only his fourth goal in 74 appearances.

There has been talk this week of Rodgers wanting to bring Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder to the club if the Holland international is willing to lower his considerable wage demands.

Henderson is a long way from being in that class yet he has offered, in the last six weeks, hope that he can develop into the midfielder which persuaded Rodgers' predecessor Kenny Dalglish to spend £16million to bring him to the club.

Boosted by his goal Henderson attempted a swerving 30-yard effort which Bunn held but the goalkeeper was powerless to prevent Suarez making it 2-0 in the 37th minute.

Sturridge cleverly allowed Lucas Leiva's through-ball to pass through his legs for the Uruguayan to run onto and he coolly slotted in a shot off the far post with his weaker left foot.

Sturridge had chances either side of half-time, first firing a narrow-angle shot at the goalkeeper and then completely missing his kick from close range from Suarez's pass.

He made up for that, however, when he became only the seventh man to find the net in each of his first three appearances for the club just before the hour.

Henderson switched the ball out to the right for Stewart Downing to drive a first-time cross for Sturridge to convert from close in.

Gerrard then added the fourth when Glen Johnson's run down the left presented him with a chance which he drilled home low from 25 yards.

Substitute Raheem Sterling may yet be awarded the fifth as it was his run and shot which was turned into his own net by Ryan Bennett.

After last week's disappointing defeat to Manchester United a third successive home victory was just what was required but, as Rodgers knows, consistency is the key to success.

The initial indications from the performances of Suarez and Sturridge together suggests now at least Liverpool have a fighting chance of finishing off teams and stringing results together.

Rodgers Pleased With Suarez/Sturridge Partnership

Liverpool manager has praised the efforts of January signing Daniel Sturridge in front of goal and hopes his relationship with strike-partner Luis Suarez will develop further.

Sturridge has scored three goals in three appearances for the Reds since his £12million move from Chelsea, with his latest coming in the Merseyside club’s 5-0 thumping of Norwich at Anfield on Saturday.

And Rodgers said following the win that the team has missed the abilities of a striker who can convert chances in close-quarters to the goal.

“I’m very pleased, I thought their [Suarez and Sturridge’s] combination with each other was great, that sort of relationship will get better as time goes on,” said the Liverpool boss.

“His goal [against Norwich] typified why we brought him in.

“We’ve created many chances this year but we’ve just needed someone who would be inside the frame of the goal and in the six-yard box to get a goal.

“It’s a real special moment to get your first goal at Anfield in front of the Kop, some people would pay money for that.”

Rodgers Explains Carragher Recall

Brendan Rodgers said he brought vice-captain Jamie Carragher back into the team against Norwich City to give his young Liverpool team some leadership.

Carragher made just his second start of the league season in Saturday's 5-0 win at Anfield and Rodgers said he recalled the 34-year-old, who replaced Martin Skrtel, because of his organizational ability.

Rodgers - who has spoken of his desire to bring in more experience - accepted that Liverpool, who have been criticized for lacking players who communicate, needed more talkers in the team.

He said: "Jamie Carragher hasn't put a foot wrong for me since I came. He has been absolutely brilliant. He hasn't played as often as he'd have liked. He's played in a lot of the cup games and I'd hoped to not put a curse on him, but I said to him that I couldn't remember him making a mistake in any of the games since I've been here.

"I thought about his leadership. We are a quiet team and he's a great organizer - he manages the game very well, he's got big experience, and he can play football. I thought him coming in would give us that extra bit of leadership. We saw that from him, he was fantastic."

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina missed the match with a thigh problem and after having surgery on his nose and Liverpool will assess the Spaniard to see if he is fit to face Oldham in their FA Cup tie on January 27.

Coates Sale Can Help Reds Land Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder is holding out for his dream move to Liverpool. And the Reds are ready to sell Sebastian Coates to help fund their pursuit of the Dutch master.

Newcastle want Uruguay centre-back Coates, 22, a £7million signing from Nacional 18 months ago. He is a Toon target as skipper Fabricio Coloccini is pushing for a move back to Argentina before this month’s transfer window closes.

Coates, also linked with West Brom, has been unable to disrupt Liverpool’s first-choice central defensive partnership of Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger. In negotiations for Sneijder, Liverpool have admitted they would need to move players out before they could bring him in.

Inter Milan’s Dutch midfielder is still stalling on an £8m transfer to Galatasaray in Turkey, because his preference is to sign for a top Premier League club. Liverpool fit the bill for Sneijder – and the Daily Star Sunday revealed last week the Anfield club’s interest in Holland’s playmaker.

Sneijder, 28, is prepared to wait until the end of this month, when the transfer window closes, before making an announcement on his future.

He said: “It’s a big decision to take. There are still two weeks to go to the end of the transfer window – there is time.”

We revealed last week that Sneijder would have to compromise on his £200,000-a-week wages at Inter for Liverpool to agree a deal, which manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to pursue.

Liverpool also got another player off the wage bill when defender Danny Wilson, out of contract in the summer, joined Hearts on loan.

Guardiola Makes Suarez And Falcao His Top Targets

Pep Guardiola is set to deliver another blow to the Premier League by making Luis Suarez and Radamel Falcao his top Bayern Munich targets.

Former Barcelona boss Guardiola last week agreed to take over as Bayern manager in July and will spend the next five months drawing up an action plan.

That will include signing a new world-class forward, with Suarez and Falcao two players Guardiola is particularly keen on.

Bayern would be unlikely to pay out for both players, with Suarez valued at £40m and Falcao’s Atletico Madrid release clause set at £46m, so Guardiola will have to decide on his favourite.

News of Guardiola’s interest will worry both Liverpool, who are desperate to keep hold of star man Suarez, and Chelsea, who have been chasing Falcao’s signature.

Suarez’s agent is Guardiola’s brother Pere and that has been a cause of concern to some Anfield insiders ever since Pep left Barca.

Uruguay star Suarez signed a new Liverpool contract last summer and has consistently reiterated his love for the club and fans.

But just last week ex-Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli warned that Suarez could be driven out by the constant controversy surrounding his actions.

That was before Suarez created a new storm by admitting to diving against Stoke and claiming Manchester United control the English media.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers described the Suarez admission of diving “unacceptable” and promised the 25-year-old would be dealt with by the club.

Guardiola’s decision to snub Chelsea for Bayern was a major blow for owner Roman Abramovich and missing out on Falcao to the Spaniard would rub salt in the wounds.

Speaking last year about Falcao, Guardiola said: “He’s a sensational player — the best striker inside the box.”

Neymar is another option, but Barca is confident of landing the Brazilian.

Meanwhile, Guardiola has kept alive his dream of eventually managing Manchester United by

taking the Bayern job.

Sources who have worked with the Spaniard, maintain he would ideally like to manage at Old Trafford when he does move to the Premier League.

Barcelona Set Sights On Liverpool Goalkeeper Reina

Barcelona is expected to move to sign Liverpool's Pepe Reina in the summer after Victor Valdes announced last week he will not be renewing his contract.

Valdes stunned Barca by refusing to discuss an extension to his contract, which runs out in 2014, and though he will play until the end of the season, Barca want to recruit a new goalkeeper in June.

Barca believe Liverpool would consider a bid for Spain international Reina, with manager Brendan Rodgers aware that he will have to sell key players to raise money to rebuild the current side.

Reina, 30, who missed Saturday's game against Norwich after having surgery to repair the broken nose he sustained against Manchester United last weekend, is considered the outstanding candidate by Barca because he was raised through the club's youth system, alongside Valdes.

Reina eventually ended up at Real Villarreal before he was signed by Rafa Benitez for Liverpool.

Reina, who is also struggling with a thigh injury which could force him to miss next Sunday's FA Cup tie against Oldham, was born in Madrid but once played for Catalonia in a representative game for the region, which the Catalans claim is an international match.

Liverpool Make £8m Bid For Inter Milan Midfielder

Liverpool has launched an £8 million bid for Inter Milan midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

Brendan Rodgers turned his attention to the 20-year-old after failing to agree a fee for Tom Ince with Blackpool. Inter have rejected Liverpool’s opening offer for Coutinho but negotiations are expected to continue.

Brazillian Coutinho signed for Inter in a €4m deal at the age of 16 but remained on loan in Brazil until 2010. He has only made 28 appearances this season for Inter and has become frustrated by his lack of opportunity.

Aston Villa and Southampton are also thought to have shown an interest in Coutinho.

Gerrard: Liverpool Need Two Or Three More Signings

Steven Gerrard believes that Liverpool can compete with any team in the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers but feels that they need to acquire two or three new signings in order to help them find consistency.

Daniel Sturridge, a £12 million January addition from Chelsea, was among the goals in Saturday's 5-0 drubbing of Norwich City and the Reds captain is hoping for more such purchases, with Goal.com having revealed that the club are looking to prepare a financial package in order to sign Wesley Sneijder from Inter.

"In general, I like the direction the club is going in, but the harsh reality is that we still need two or three big players who can help", he told the Daily Mirror.

"We were short before the last deadline and I think we struggled to find consistency ­because of that."

Liverpool took time earlier in the season to adapt to their new manager's ideas and style of play but six wins in their last 10 outings have improved the outlook considerably, with Gerrard looking to learn from arch-rivals Manchester United.

"I like the new manager's philosophy. I like his style of play," the midfielder added. "The gap between us and, say, Manchester United is now severe but I believe that, on our day, we can beat any team in the league.

“What we need to find is that consistency. We can actually learn from United. There are games when they don't play well and they still find a way to win.

"When we don't play well, we don't win. We need to find a way to win games when we're not really at our top level."

Reina Has Operation On Broken Nose

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has had an operation to fix a broken nose sustained during his side's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford last Sunday.

The 30-year-old rushed out to prevent Shinji Kagawa from scoring in the first half but Andre Wisdom's block on the Japan international meant that the midfielder crashed into the Spaniard and left him injured.

Reina was able to continue for the remainder of the game but missed his side's 5-0 victory over Norwich City on Saturday and boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed that he had also aggravated a thigh injury during the loss at Old Trafford.

"Pepe was injured and Brad Jones came in and kept a clean sheet [against Norwich]," the Reds manager told reporters.

"He had a thigh problem before the game last week and he played and the assessment afterwards was it had got worse - plus he had broken his nose.

"He had an operation to fix the nose [on Friday] so we will see how he is by next week and review it from there."

Reina has struggled for form this season and has been put under pressure by backup keeper Jones, who came into the side and impressed during the Spaniard's absence through injury in October.

Liverpool stands seventh in the Premier League after finding form despite a troubled start to the season, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with 34 points from 23 games so far.

Match Preview: Liverpool vs Norwich

All eyes will once again be on Luis Suarez when Liverpool host Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Uruguayan is making headlines after admitting to diving against Stoke City earlier in the season and, although he has avoided Football Association action, he could be punished by his club.

Suarez will therefore be the centre of attention at Anfield not long after causing controversy for an apparent handball against Mansfield and he is already no stranger to Norwich having scored hat-tricks in his last two appearances against the Canaries.

The striker, who celebrates his 26th birthday next Thursday, is also in fine form this season and has scored six goals in his last six appearances in all competitions.

Norwich will therefore know stopping Suarez is key in a game when a victory could move Chris Hughton's club to within two points of Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool.

A recent run of just one point in five matches has seen Norwich slip down the table after a previous 10-game unbeaten run in the top flight.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is pushing for his first Premier League start at home to Norwich City after two goals in as many games since his £12million transfer.

Defender Jose Enrique is still not fully fit after a hamstring problem so Glen Johnson will continue to deputize at left-back.

Jordan Henderson could challenge for Joe Allen's place in midfield.

Norwich midfielder Jonny Howson has recovered from the illness which kept him out of the Newcastle game last weekend.

Andrew Surman returns to the squad after recovering from a knee injury and Grant Holt (hamstring) has been declared fully fit.

Defender Steven Whittaker (hip) and striker Steve Morison (knee) are still recovering but could return in 10 days.

Rodgers Backing Sturridge

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has no doubts over Daniel Sturridge's attitude as the striker prepares to make his Anfield debut.

Rumours about Sturridge's personality have dogged his career so far but he has made a fine start to life on Merseyside with goals in his first two games.

Norwich visit Anfield on Saturday and Rodgers was keen to defend his new signing in his pre-match press conference, where he was asked about a whispering campaign about Sturridge.

"It has been very unfair, I have to say," said Rodgers. "I remember being at Chelsea and I'd heard all these things about Nicolas Anelka being an awkward player and I found him one of the nicest guys I ever met in football.

"Sometimes when you are quiet and you focus on yourself you can be criticized for being awkward, but I don't think that is the case with Daniel at all.

"I was aware of him beforehand and I think any frustrations and disappointments he's had were purely down to the basis he wasn't playing or getting an opportunity.

"I can understand that. He went (to Chelsea) as a 20-year-old and it was always going to be difficult for him to play. But he has mixed well here and is very hungry to learn. It is going to take time for him to feel at ease and comfortable.

"This will be his first time playing at Anfield and that is a real special feeling.

"Daniel came in here and the spotlight was on him because everyone knew we needed someone up there to help Luis (Suarez) and get goals. With his pace and power you have a real feeling he can get a goal.

"We've had some terrific performances so far this season but consistency has been our biggest downfall. I believe the group will be as good as any team in this league but we have to be consistent and be able to not play well and win.

"This season we've normally played well and won games; we've also performed well and not got something from the games. At times, we're going to have to not play well and be able to win."