Source: Telegraph
Rafael Benitez hoping to welcome Steven Gerrard back into Liverpool side after injury
Gerrard pulled out of the England squad for Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Holland in Amsterdam after complaining of a slight groin strain and returned to Liverpool's Melwood training ground for treatment on the injury in a bid to make sure he can feature against Tottenham.
It is believed he was due to play in the 2-0 win over Oldham, held behind closed doors at Liverpool's Academy, but it was decided not to risk a recurrence of the injury so soon before the season.
Club sources, though, remain upbeat about his chances of recovering in time to start Rafael Benitez's side's first game of the season.
Martin Skrtel, the Slovakial defender, however, provided the Spaniard with a boost by successfully coming through the game three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in Liverpool's pre-season game against Thailand.
He is likely to partner Jamie Carragher at centre of Benitez's defence, providing the former England man can shake off an ankle problem picked up in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
With Daniel Agger expected to be out until the end of the month with a back problem, Benitez is believed to be in the market for an additional centre-back, although he has thus far baulked at Hull City's £12 million asking price for Michael Turner.
Speculation linking him with Stoke's Ryan Shawcross is believed to be wide of the mark, although Portsmouth's Sylvain Distin remains a target.
As well as Agger, Benitez will be missing the left-back Fabio Aurelio and his new £20m signing Alberto Aquilani, due to be unveiled today, for the start of the campaign, while the Spaniard admitted at the weekend that Fernando Torres was not yet at full fitness after returning late from Confederations Cup duty.
Torres and his international team-mates, Albert Riera and Pepe Reina, will return to Melwood today after helping Spain to a 3-2 win in a friendly in Macedonia.
The striker played for 64 minutes and scored the first Spanish goal as Vicente Del Bosque's side recovered from 2-0 down at half-time.
