LIVERPOOL are facing up to the prospect of kicking off their Europa League campaign without a handful of star names.
The Reds will play the first significant game of the new season in the third qualifying round of the Europa League on Thursday, July 29 - but it is looking increasingly unlikely that the club's new manager will not be able to call on Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, Maxi Rodriguez, Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt for what is certainly a crucial fixture.
All players who have been involved in the World Cup are given a mandatory three-week break from the moment their countries are eliminated.
That means the earliest Mascherano, Rodriguez and Kuyt can be expected to report back to Melwood is on Monday, July 26, as they will be involved in quarter-finals this weekend.
And provided World Cup favourites Spain beat Portugal tonight in Cape Town to progress to the last eight, the same would also apply to Torres and Reina.
They, of course, would not be considered for duty so soon after returning from a break and Liverpool can expect to be similarly cautious with the players whose World Cup dreams were ended at the weekend.
Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson were due home today after flying back from South Africa with the rest of Fabio Capello's squad but they won't be seen back in the Reds' fold until the middle week of July.
The Reds will play the first significant game of the new season in the third qualifying round of the Europa League on Thursday, July 29 - but it is looking increasingly unlikely that the club's new manager will not be able to call on Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, Maxi Rodriguez, Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt for what is certainly a crucial fixture.
All players who have been involved in the World Cup are given a mandatory three-week break from the moment their countries are eliminated.
That means the earliest Mascherano, Rodriguez and Kuyt can be expected to report back to Melwood is on Monday, July 26, as they will be involved in quarter-finals this weekend.
And provided World Cup favourites Spain beat Portugal tonight in Cape Town to progress to the last eight, the same would also apply to Torres and Reina.
They, of course, would not be considered for duty so soon after returning from a break and Liverpool can expect to be similarly cautious with the players whose World Cup dreams were ended at the weekend.
Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson were due home today after flying back from South Africa with the rest of Fabio Capello's squad but they won't be seen back in the Reds' fold until the middle week of July.
As a liverpool fan, I will always want the club to win each and every game they play. But this year is the year to rebulid the squad, so I wont be too sad if we loose this tie and go out of the Europa Cup. Playing Europa is some sort of distraction, we have to play genarally Europa Cup games on thursdays and again EPL games on weekend, it becomes a taxation. So rather we should focus on our league games and target the FA cup instaed. YNWA
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