Gerrard ready to face City but Torres still out
LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard has handed the Reds a huge boost by declaring himself fit for Saturday’s blockbuster against Manchester City.
A nagging groin injury has restricted the midfielder to just 70 minutes of action since the Premier League defeat to Chelsea on 4 October.
Gerrard rushed himself back against Birmingham earlier this month but admits that may have been too soon, and only now feels fully ready to drag his demoralised team back up the table, where the likes of City have replaced them.
“I felt very tired after the Birmingham game as I wasn’t really ready to return. I’d done very little training in the three weeks beforehand,” Gerrard said. “It took me two or three days to recover from that game but I have spent the past week doing strengthening work. I’m feeling a lot better now. There’s no mental hurdle to cross.”
Rafael Benitez confirmed Gerrard would return for the visit of City, but said top scorer Fernando Torres was still out. “Gerrard is doing well,” said the Liverpool manager. “Fernando Torres is training with the physios, so I don’t think he’ll be available.”