| Rafael Benítez believes that Liverpool have been the victims of bad luck this season and has spoken of his conviction that the club will have significantly improved their league position within "one or two months". |
The Liverpool manager, who has presided over six defeats in the last eight matches ahead of Birmingham City's visit tonight, claimed he was "100% sure" his team would start to climb the table.
"You can see the table and it is not a big, big difference," said Benítez, whose side are four points adrift of a place in the top four. "The main thing for me is we need to analyse our position and ask ourselves: How can we improve? We have to keep working and in one month or two months' time I am 100% sure that we will be higher in the table and it will be totally different."
The Liverpool manager hopes to start with Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, who have been struggling with a hernia and groin problem respectively, while Alberto Aquilani is expected to make his Anfield debut from the bench. The Italy international, who was bought as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, has overcome a virus after initially being sidelined with a knee injury. "It could be the time to let the Anfield fans see Aquilani at last," said Benítez.
Liverpool are desperate for three points, although Benítez feels that some good fortune is also long overdue. Asked whether he felt Liverpool had been unlucky this season, he replied: "Yes, in some games. It's very clear. Against Tottenham and Aston Villa we scored and after we conceded one minute later. Too many things have happened like the beach ball, or the late goals we have conceded against Lyon. But hopefully that will change for the rest of the season."
Torres has the better chance of being involved against the Midlanders. Gerrard has barely trained for a fortnight, but Benítez was pleased with his involvement in a training session yesterday. Fábio Aurélio, Martin Skrtel and Albert Riera are also likely to return from injuries. Glen Johnson has also improved his after training this weekend, but he and Martin Kelly are still struggling.
Benítez at least needs Torres on the pitch for a game Liverpool must win. "We hope to be able to keep going with Fernando. Maybe he can be available for Birmingham, we will see how it goes. It was a risk to play him against Manchester United, but he scored a fantastic goal and everyone was saying what a massive difference he makes.
"He played, and scored, at Fulham and I was criticised by a lot of 'experts' because he was taken off in the second half. They can see that he has a problem, but the same thing happened in Lyon when I took him off.
"Fernando will play if he continues to have less pain than before. Does he need an operation? Nobody really knows, we'll wait and see. I have had many players with this problem over the years. They carried on, and sometimes you can play for the whole season with such a problem.
"But I have been surprised at what some critics have said about Torres' involvement. People who have played football for years seem not to understand that the manager has more information." |
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