http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 captain, will finally return to the team after being out for almost a month and a half. The midfielder is set to make his return on the Boxing Day game against Blackpool. Gerrard got the injury while playing for England when
he suffered a hamstring tear. He could have made his return last week against Fulham but the game was postponed due to heavy snowfall.
Liverpool’s fortunes this season have not been great and to lose their most influential player did not help their cause either. The manager is pleased to have the captain back. Roy Hodgson said that the timing of Gerrard’s return could not have been more
perfect as the team prepares to go into a packed schedule with 5 games in the next 15 days. He added that so many games in such few days does test any team’s bench strength, and when the 2 weeks end there may be a whole new outlook on the Premier League table.
The 30 year old has not been able to take part in the last 5 games for the Reds due to his injury.
Earlier when he got the injury there was some criticism about the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fabio-c13152 Capello. There was a general consensus that the manager kept him on the pitch longer than needed and that actually aggravated the injury.
As a result Steven Gerrard ended up with a pulled hamstring when he was taken off 5 minutes before the end in the 2-1 defeat against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899 in November.
Darren Burgess the fitness coach at Liverpool did not hold back on pointing fingers at Capello. He said that the national team managers never bear to consider what impact an injury can have on a player’s club career. They only have the short term goal in
mind and that too in a friendly match was no way justified to keep Gerrard on the pitch, when he was clearly struggling. In reply to that England manager Fabio Capello did defend his case, and said that he has worked with well reputed clubs across Europe and
does realise the importance of a player like Gerrard for Liverpool. He added that it was his feeling that he may be able to assist the team in getting an equalizer against France, and it was the sole reason he kept him on the pitch.
The 30 year old ended up missing 4 premier league games for the Reds. Two of these ended in home wins for them against West Ham United and Aston Villa. While Liverpool lost the other two at the hands of Tottenham and Newcastle, the only Europa League match
that he missed was a draw against Steaua Bucharest.
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said that Gerrard would have been ready to take the pitch against Fulham last week, but in a way it is a blessing in disguise because an added week is maybe just what he needed to get back to full fitness.
In addition to Gerrard, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Daniel-Agger-c9884 is also back in training so the busy season ahead may be just a bit easier for Hodgson.
Hodgson said: "Daniel Agger is also fit so there are only two players unavailable to me, one of whom is http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jamie-Carragher-c17728 [dislocated shoulder] is still nine weeks away from coming back, if
we are to believe the doctors, but knowing Jamie it would not surprise me if those nine weeks became less than that."
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