Liverpool Football Club News

• Nickname:Reds
• Founded:1892
• Manager:Kenny Dalglish

• Ground:Anfield
• Capacity:45,362

Mascherano to miss Magpies

07 Mar 2008 - 14:55:28

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Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has been ruled out of Saturday's visit of Newcastle United to Anfield.

The Argentina international, who recently put pen to paper on a contract to make his loan stay into a permanent transfer, suffered a muscle injury during the 4-0 rout of West Ham on Wednesday.

The ball-winning midfielder is also rated doubtful for next week's Champions League first knockout round second trip to Italy to take on Internazionale.

"I will need to speak to the doctors before we decide about Inter Milan but he will not be available this weekend against Newcastle," manager Rafael Benitez told the club's official website.

Meanwhile, defender Sami Hyypia has warned his team-mates not to underestimate the challenge posed by Newcastle's ex-Reds striker Michael Owen.

The England striker scored more than 150 first-team goals during seven years at Anfield prior to his transfer to Real Madrid in 2004.

"Michael is a great goalscorer and we need to be very careful with him around," he claimed.

"He was exactly the same in training as he was in games. He was very quick, he could turn really well and he was a very good goalscorer.

"I don't know if it is an advantage for us that we know him because he knows us also, but we will see.

"Michael was a very good servant to Liverpool and he scored many goals for us while he was here."