Liverpool: Steven Gerrard is poised to make his long-awaited comeback as Liverpool look to forget their Premier League problems by beating Brighton in their third round League Cup clash on Wednesday.
Gerrard has not played since suffering a groin problem in March which required surgery, but manager Kenny Dalglish is set to use the game to ease his influential captain back into action after six months on the sidelines.
Two successive league defeats, including a 4-0 hammering at Tottenham on Sunday, have marred Liverpool`s solid start to the season, but the return of the England midfielder will lift spirits.
"I`ve said all along, he`s done fantastically well to get where he is," said Dalglish when asked about the imminent return of Gerrard.
"We`ll just monitor him and pick the right moment for him and us before we get him back. It`s natural everyone wants to chase Stevie, especially after you have lost 4-0.
"But we`ll monitor it, take it how it goes and when both parties agree he`ll play."
Gerrard has not been seen in action since helping Liverpool defeat Manchester United 3-1 at Anfield on March 6.
He resumed full training two weeks ago and emerged unscathed after taking part in a practice match last week.
"Now I`m back in with the boys, it`s a completely different ball game - it`s a lot tougher, quicker and I`ve struggled the last two days, so I`m really tired at the moment," said Gerrard earlier this month.
"But I`m back in full training and looking forward to being involved with the lads in games in the coming weeks."
Teenagers Danny Wilson, John Flanagan and Jack Robinson are also expected to feature in a much-changed side from the one on duty at White Hart Lane, where Liverpool finished with nine men after Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel were sent off.
Both players will be suspended for the trip to the south coast as a result.
Brighton are currently third in the Championship after being promoted from the third tier last season, and manager Gus Poyet is confident his players can give a good account of themselves during a hectic 48 hours which also sees Brighton entertain Leeds on Friday.
"I need to manage the squad and the team the right way, to have a decent team against Liverpool and a very, very good team against Leeds on Friday but it`s going to be tough," said Poyet.
Full-back Marcos Painter will miss the tie through suspension following his sending off for two bookable offences during the 1-0 defeat to Leicester last Saturday.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.