Liverpool are anxiously monitoring Steven Gerrard’s fitness amid fears that he could miss the Capital One Cup semi-final showdown with Chelsea.
The 34-year-old was substituted at half-time during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Sunderland to protect a tight hamstring.
He has subsequently received treatment at Liverpool’s Melwood training base but his involvement in the weekend trip to Aston Villa is in doubt.
With the first leg of the Capital One Cup tie played at Anfield 72 hours later, should Gerrard fail to appear at Villa Park, there would then be a question mark over whether he would be ready to face Jose Mourinho’s men.
Gerrard brings the curtain down on his glittering Anfield career at the end of the season and the perfect send-off would be to win a trophy before he joins LA Galaxy. The Capital One Cup perhaps offers the best chance to fulfil that dream.
No firm decisions will be made until later in the week and, until then, Gerrard will continue to work closely with Liverpool’s medical staff to maximise his chances of being involved in the match with Chelsea.
Daniel Sturridge is also unlikely to play in either leg of the semi-final. The striker has returned to training at Melwood following extensive treatment in the USA but the England international, who has not played since August 31 last year, has yet to join in a full training session.
Liverpool — preparing to open contract talks with Martin Skrtel, who has 18 months left on his deal — are desperate to bring Sturridge’s goal threat back into their team but, at the same time, they are also aware of the need to be patient.
It is looking certain, meanwhile, that Liverpool will return to Australia in the summer for their pre-season tour, with the likelihood being that they will play games in Brisbane and Adelaide.
A two-week tour of the Southern Hemisphere could also include a fixture in Macau and one in Indonesia.
When they played in Australia two years ago, a crowd of 95 000 saw them beat Melbourne Victory 2-0 in the MCG. – Daily Mail