Alonso's injury

[Woobus]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N162768090107-1135.htm

Liverpool will wait until the end of the week before deciding if Xabi Alonso is fit to face Stoke City on Saturday.
The Spanish midfielder is recovering from a foot injury sustained at Preston at the weekend which foced him to be substituted at half time.

Despite resuming training at Melwood, manager Rafael Benitez today revealed Alonso may need more time for the wound to heal before he can return to competitive football.

"Xabi trained yesterday but the problem is he had seven stitches so clearly it depends if he can put boots on and kick the ball," said Benitez today.

"For running and training I think he will be okay but we have to decide at the end of the week about his boots.

"If he can kick a ball he could be available for Stoke but we will have to wait and see."

Benitez expects Javier Mascherano to recover from an ankle knock in time for the trip to the Potteries, but Alvaro Arbeloa is expected to again miss out with a hamstring problem.

"Arbeloa is improving but I think he will need another week," added Benitez. "Hopefully next week he can train normally again."

[Woobus]

Bah beat me to it

[Neil Young]

Joking aside do you not think that was rafa's plan in the summer, trying to sell Alonso, trying to buy Barry, buying Keane??

The only rational formation if Alonso left and Barry joined was -

----Torres----
Barry-Keane-Kuyt
--Gerrard-Mascher--

Add that to Pepe and Carra plus 3 and you have the formation Rafa wanted in the summer.
All I'm saying is sometimes injuries force a selection that turns out to be inspired but probably wouldn't have happened with everyone fit.

I was thinking about how he'd play with Barry and Keane at the time and thought it would be

Keane --- Torres --- Kuyt
Barry --- Mascher --- Gerrard


but I like the way we're playing with Mascher and Alonso in front of the back four, as soon as one of the fullbacks bombs up the field Alonso drops back into defence and Mascher still holds the line

I disagree with both those line-ups. Barry plays holding midfield for England (I don't know about Villa) so I think this is/would have been far more likely:

--Mascherano------Barry----
Kuyt-------Gerrard-----Riera*
------------Torres-----------

* Or whoever.

In other words, Barry for Alonso would have been a straight (if undesirable in my view) swap.

[Forgive me for posting my line-up the other way up. I always start with the keeper - it's just a personal thing of course but it looks wrong to me the other way. ]

[powerpack]

Bah beat me to it

It was a photo finish but I won it by a nose!

[kop-al-74]

This is excellent news if at most all he misses is the stoke game.I really feel Alonso, in his current form, is as vital as Gerrard, Carra and Reina if we are to win the premiership.

I was really pissed at the thought of him being out for 4 weeks or something like that.Not only would we miss him but the player himself would of needed time to come back from the injury form wise.

Xabi is the pass master!

[mersey86]

This is excellent news if at most all he misses is the stoke game.I really feel Alonso, in his current form, is as vital as Gerrard, Carra and Reina if we are to win the premiership.

Spot on. This is a big relief.

[hamshanks]

Robbie keane's confidence or lack of it caused Alonso's injury tonight imo, If Keane had scored two out of the many chances he had before this incident there is no way on earth he would have tapped the ball back towards the edge of the six yard box to Reira I think? The ball was crossed for him at the far post and he should have burried it but because he had missed a few sitters earlier he had no confidence and just rolled it back across the box ,Am I just being synical or did anyone else see it?

which in turn was caused by the fact that Rafa keeps dropping him, he scores twice and then is left out of the following match, how is he supposed to get his confidence if he doesn't get consistent starts?

[Reece]

So basically Rafa caused Alonso's injury.

Sack him.

[kop-al-74]

which in turn was caused by the fact that Rafa keeps dropping him, he scores twice and then is left out of the following match, how is he supposed to get his confidence if he doesn't get consistent starts?

To be fair though,it was a bit of a hospital pass.

[hamshanks]

So basically Rafa caused Alonso's injury.

Sack him.

that's right - is David O'Leary still out of a job?

[Neil Young]

So basically Rafa caused Alonso's injury.

I established this ages ago.

If Rafa hadn't bought Keane, he wouldn't have missed the chance so Rafa is to blame.

See?

Sack him.

Quite.

[Liverpool]

So basically Rafa caused Alonso's injury.

Sack him.

So its Moores fault for appointing Rafa!

[Woobus]

So its Moores fault for appointing Rafa!

Cant we all just agree its Parrys fault?

[Liverpool]

Cant we all just agree its Parrys fault?

Its John Moores fault for starting Littlewoods meaning David Moores could buy Liverpool meaning he could appoint Rafa who signed Keane who got Alonso injured by passing and not shooting.

[Woobus]

Its John Moores fault for starting Littlewoods meaning David Moores could buy Liverpool meaning he could appoint Rafa who signed Keane who got Alonso injured by passing and not shooting.

If Everton could have managed to afford to pay there rent then Liverpool as we know it wouldnt have been formed. I might have to start blaming them.