Source: Daily_Mail
Rafa's crisis point: Liverpool's season facing ruin as Gerrard and Torres miss Sunderland clash
Rafa Benitez was seething last night after Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were ruled out for today’s game at in-form Sunderland that Liverpool dare not lose.
The Liverpool manager has been forced to do without his two most influential players, and was even unsure of Javier Mascherano’s fitness as he headed for the Stadium of Light, having already lost three Barclays Premier League games this season.
With a vital Champions League clash looming against Lyon on Tuesday and the Anfield showdown against Manchester United tomorrow week, Benitez’s team is under severe pressure.
Benitez struggled to contain his anger as he reflected on Spain striker Torres returning injured from international duty for a fifth time and Gerrard training with England at the start of the week before being sent back belatedly for treatment.
Both have groin strains and are also doubtful for Tuesday’s key home Champions League game against Lyon.
Meanwhile, he had received no word about Mascherano’s fitness after the player had featured in Argentina’s victory in Uruguay on Wednesday.
Benitez said: ‘Stevie and Fernando have a similar adductor problem, and I decided this morning they could not play at Sunderland. It wasn’t a question of whether to risk them. They just could not play, though I hope they will be all right for Tuesday.
‘There are no guarantees Stevie would have been fit if he had been here for treatment all week, but it is not an ideal situation.
‘We’ve got a massive week coming up, with Lyon followed by Manchester United, and so much depends on the first game. The Sunderland game is crucial, and it is not ideal that some players are missing and others are only able to join up the night before.
‘All I know is that Torres and Gerrard were both playing for us, then went away on international duty and came back injured.
‘I haven’t heard from Argentina about Javier, and I don’t know how he is. He isn’t back yet and will probably have to travel straight up to Sunderland and meet up with us there.’
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, a title-winner with Manchester United in his playing days, warned Benitez about the consequences of defeat today.
He said: ‘It might not exactly kill off their hopes if they lose to us, but it is very difficult nowadays to win the league. Liverpool only lost twice last season but still didn’t finish top, so that shows the standard. Scary, isn’t it?
‘In my experience, you can only afford to lose four or five games and the expectation for Liverpool is always immense.’
