Liverpool drops key players for Europa tie
Source: Agencies |
August 26, 2010, Thursday
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CAPTAIN Steven Gerrard and striker Fernando Torres are among the key players missing for Liverpool as the English side battles to make it into the group stage of the Europa League today.
The five-time European champion heads to Turkey for the second leg of its qualifying playoff against Trabzonspor protecting a narrow 1-0 lead from the first match.
Gerrard has a back problem, Torres will not be risked as he builds up his fitness after recent injury problems while Daniel Agger and Maxi Rodriguez are also out. Holding midfielder Javier Mascherano is missing while he is the subject of a bid from Barcelona.
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson can recall new signing Joe Cole from domestic suspension but is expecting his makeshift side to be put under heavy pressure by Trabzonspor.
"We missed a golden opportunity to kill the game off at Anfield and now we've got it all to do," Hodgson said. "It's going to be a very tough ask for the players in a difficult place.
"They are one of the two or three best teams in Turkey at the moment and Turkish football is of a very high standard. Everyone who's been to Trabzon tells me it's a remarkably difficult place to play."
Former European champions PSV Eindhoven and Juventus will also be under pressure in the second legs of their playoffs.
Sibir Novosibirsk caused the biggest shock in the first legs by beating PSV, which won the European Cup in 1988, 1-0 in Russia.
Juventus, which is more used to playing in the Champions League rather than Europe's second-tier competition, will not be taking qualification for granted after only beating Sturm Graz 2-1 in Austria in the first leg.
Rapid Vienna aims to knock English side Aston Villa out of the tournament for the second straight year.
The five-time European champion heads to Turkey for the second leg of its qualifying playoff against Trabzonspor protecting a narrow 1-0 lead from the first match.
Gerrard has a back problem, Torres will not be risked as he builds up his fitness after recent injury problems while Daniel Agger and Maxi Rodriguez are also out. Holding midfielder Javier Mascherano is missing while he is the subject of a bid from Barcelona.
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson can recall new signing Joe Cole from domestic suspension but is expecting his makeshift side to be put under heavy pressure by Trabzonspor.
"We missed a golden opportunity to kill the game off at Anfield and now we've got it all to do," Hodgson said. "It's going to be a very tough ask for the players in a difficult place.
"They are one of the two or three best teams in Turkey at the moment and Turkish football is of a very high standard. Everyone who's been to Trabzon tells me it's a remarkably difficult place to play."
Former European champions PSV Eindhoven and Juventus will also be under pressure in the second legs of their playoffs.
Sibir Novosibirsk caused the biggest shock in the first legs by beating PSV, which won the European Cup in 1988, 1-0 in Russia.
Juventus, which is more used to playing in the Champions League rather than Europe's second-tier competition, will not be taking qualification for granted after only beating Sturm Graz 2-1 in Austria in the first leg.
Rapid Vienna aims to knock English side Aston Villa out of the tournament for the second straight year.
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