 | Injuries leave Liverpool struggling |
11/6/2009 1:42:55 PM
Despite their 2-0 win over Manchester two weeks ago, a League Cup loss at Arsenal, a 3-1 English Premier League defeat at Fulham and a last-minute equaliser by Lyon in the Champions League has heaped the pressure back on Liverpool and manager Rafa Benitez.
If Chelsea beat United on Sunday, Liverpool could find themselves 12 points behind the league leaders by the time they meet Birmingham on Monday.
Liverpool need to find a way to overcome the likely absence of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard through injury, or they could lose what is being billed as a must-win game.
Injury woes
Monday's game at their home stadium Anfield is the fifth game in a row that fans and commentators have called crucial to the club's chances of mounting a challenge for a first title since 1990, but, worryingly for manager Rafa Benitez, his team have won just one of the previous four.
Liverpool's reliance on Torres and Gerrard has been exposed by their continual injuries this season, leaving their team on verge of Champions League elimination and nine points off the top of the Premier League after just 11 games.
And Torres and Gerrard seem set to sit out the game, with both possibly needing surgery before they can resume the season.
Torres played in pain through 87 minutes of Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League draw at Lyon and visited a local hospital the following day for tests on his groin injury.
"He still had the same problems that have troubled him for a few weeks,'' Benitez said.
"He wants to wait, rather than have an operation. He wants to work with the physios to try to solve his problems, but still he has pain.
"He told me he needed to keep stopping because of the pain. Whether there is the need for him or Steven Gerrard to have an operation is a decision we will not take straight away.''
Surgery could rule either player out for weeks or even months, but both have the World Cup at the end of the season to think about as well as Liverpool's faltering form.
Benitez may at least be able to bring back Martin Skrtel to shore up the defence, although Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio are out because of calf problems.
Chelsea boost
Chelsea host United boosted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision to temporarily lift Fifa's ban on them signing new players, while the defending champions are struggling with injuries and a leaky defence.
England international Rio Ferdinand will miss the match because of what may be a lower back problem, while Wes Brown and Jonny Evans looked shaky as United let in three goals in a Champions League draw against CSKA Moscow this week.
Midfielder Park Ji-sung is again missing with a knee problem and Gary Neville is suspended, but Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov are fit.
"Vidic has trained for the last three days and should be OK,'' Ferguson said.
"Berbatov got a knock and we'll see what he's like in training today, but he should be fine.''
And United should soon be able to call upon Owen Hargreaves, with the England midfielder set to return to training in about 10 days - 14 months after his last appearance.
"He's been doing some good football work with our physios,'' Ferguson said.
"We're not going to force it, but he is very happy within himself.''
Any slip-up by United could let Arsenal through into second place, with the Gunners at lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers in one of Saturday's five matches.
The Gunners are seeking to stretch a two-month unbeaten streak in which they
have outscored their league opponents 19-5.
Arsenal are just three points behind United, who, with Chelsea, have occupied the top two spots since September 13.
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