Rafa backs skipper Gerrard
02 Oct 2007 - 15:57:25
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is adamant that Steven Gerrard will be able to put his recent car accident to the back of his mind when he faces Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The crash occurred in Birkdale on Monday and left a schoolboy with a broken leg, but Benitez is confident his captain will be in the right frame of mind to find his best form against the French outfit.
The former Valencia boss told the Reds' official website "I was talking with him on Tuesday morning and he's fine.
"He was disappointed but he's spoken to the boy and his family and everything is okay.
"He was driving slowly so it isn't a problem. He is ready to play. This morning he was training normally."
Meanwhile, Fernando Torres insists he is happy with Benitez's controversial rotation policy.
The former Atletico Madrid striker started the recent Premier League draws against Portsmouth and Birmingham City on the substitute's bench, before marking his return to the starting line-up with a hat-trick in the Carling Cup win at Reading.
But Torres said: "We players have to adapt to systems, rather than systems being adapted to suit the players.
"The manager will decide who plays depending on what he needs in each game. The players who do best are the ones who win a place.
"I'm playing with pressure and responsibility. I'm used to it."