Reds allay Gerrard injury fear
21 Jul 2008 - 12:22:54
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has allayed concerns over Steven Gerrard after revealing the groin injury he suffered over the weekend was not serious.
The Reds skipper left Liverpool's Swiss training camp on Sunday after picking up the problem, but is only expected to be sidelined for the next week.
Initial reports had suggested the England midfielder could miss the start of the new season.
Instead he will sit out Tuesday's friendly against Hertha Berlin in Germany before returning to contention for the trip to Spain to face Villarreal on July 30.
"Steven has a groin problem. It's not serious but he cannot train and he wouldn't be available for this game so we decided to send him back to Melwood for training," Benitez told the club's official website.
"He should be okay in about a week. It's not serious but there's no sense to keep him here being unable to train or play."