Carra hopes Gerrard will be fit

25 February 2009 09:33
Jamie Carragher is confident Liverpool can still beat Real Madrid even if Steven Gerrard is not passed fit.[LNB] Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will make late decision on whether captain Gerrard will be able to feature in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League tie.[LNB]The midfielder is struggling with a hamstring injury and could be forced to sit out the first leg of the last 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu, live on Sky Sports Extra.[LNB]Carragher hopes Gerrard will be able to start against Real, but the defender feels the Reds can cope without their talismanic skipper.[LNB]"We can get a good result without Steven," said Carragher. [LNB]"We have done it in the past, he is a great player - one of the best in the world - and we hope he will be fit.[LNB]"But when we won the trophy in 2005 there were plenty of games when Steven didn't play. Obviously we are a better side when he plays, and hopefully he will be playing."[LNB]ExcitedCarragher is looking forward to playing in the Bernabeu and hopes the game will be the latest step en route to Liverpool winning the Champions League.[LNB]He said: "It is fantastic to be here, I get very excited about ties like this because you want to experience playing in the big stadiums. We have never played here so a lot of us were really pleased with the draw.[LNB]"This is against the team who are probably the biggest in European football, and Liverpool are proud that we are up there alongside AC Milan and Real as the three most successful teams in Europe.[LNB]"For two of those teams to be pitted against each other in the Champions League, shows now how big this game is.[LNB]"There's 14 European Cups won between us, and hopefully we can make it six for us this season."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports