Former Liverpool player says Raul Meireles can make most of Steven Gerrard injury
Former Liverpool star Alan Hansen claims that summer signing Raul Meireles can make the best of a bad situation following captain Steven Gerrard's injury.
Central midfielder Gerrard tore his hamstring during England's 2-1 friendly defeat to France on Wednesday 17 November, meaning that he will be out of action for around four weeks.
The problem has left Liverpool with a midfield crisis as they are also missing Lucas Leiva due to suspension as well as youngster Jay Spearing due to injury.
However, Hansen has tipped Portugal international Meireles to perform well in the middle of the pitch and show that he can become an important player for the English Premier League side.
The former defender told LFC Weekly: "With Steven Gerrard missing for three or four weeks it's a great opportunity for Meireles to step up to the plate. Jamie Carragher touched on it last week when he said the rest of the team have got to step up a level
and prove they can play without Steven. If Meireles gets another chance to play in the middle on Sunday (28 November) at Tottenham then it is imperative that he does well. He'll want to show Liverpool supporters what he is all about, as he did against West
Ham."
Hansen added that manager Roy Hodgson had to determine Meireles' best position, as the player has to learn how to best operate in order to nail down a regular place in the starting line-up.
He said: “Finding Meireles' best position in the team is perhaps something Roy Hodgson is still looking at. Against West Ham he was in the middle but he has also played on the right, left and behind the striker for Liverpool, and he played towards the left-hand
side for Portugal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup .”
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