Liverpool Football Club News

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Rafa rues defensive blows

28 Dec 2007 - 08:54:01

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Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes his current injury crisis in central defence could have been avoided with better planning.

The Reds face Manchester City at the weekend with only one fit central defender in Jamie Carragher available.

Sami Hyypia twisted an ankle in the Boxing Day victory over Derby County, while Daniel Agger remains sidelined with a broken metatarsal.

Regular left-back Alvaro Arbeloa will play alongside Carragher should he shake off a flu bug, but Benitez, who fell out with the club's American owners over future transfer plans earlier this season, believes the problem could have been avoided.

"We had a problem for six, four, three months. That is the reason we were looking for options," he said.

"Now you can see the problem and why we have been searching for re-enforcements.

"We have been playing with a big risk and Jamie Carragher has four yellow cards, so that just makes the problem more worrying.

"But Agger and (Jack) Hobbs are both training and Arbeloa will recover from his bout of sickness. All that will be a big boost for us.

"We have tried to protect our centre-backs but it has been a long time playing with this risk.

"It will be difficult against Manchester City with this problem. They are fighting at the top with us and Sunday's game is very important. We have to plan carefully."