Rafa confident over Gerrard
01 Apr 2007 - 07:52:36
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has played down injury concerns surrounding captain Steven Gerrard ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final meeting with PSV Eindhoven.
The Reds ace was replaced after 56 minutes of Saturday's 4-1 victory over Arsenal after picking up a thigh problem.
But Benitez, who admitted in the build-up to Saturday's Premiership match he was concerned with the fitness of those players who had featured twice for their countries during the week, has played down talk that his skipper could miss the first leg of the last eight clash with the Dutch side.
"I don't think it will be serious, I think he will be okay," confirmed the Spaniard. "We were trying to protect all of the players."
Meanwhile, Peter Crouch paid tribute to the service he received from his team-mates after recording his first ever club hat-trick in the 4-1 win at Anfield.
"The win was the most important thing, but I'm so pleased with the hat-trick," said the England striker.
"You don't care how they come but it was a nice hat-trick, I'm pleased with it.
"There was fantastic service. Sometimes you are a bit isolated but that wasn't the case at all, my team-mates got round me and it makes it easier."