Sporting Braga v Liverpool: Captain Steven Gerrard to tackle long-term groin injury with specialist help
Steven Gerrard will seek specialist help in an effort to cure his long-standing groin injury amid fears the Liverpool captain may yet require surgery.
Time out: Steven Gerrard is keen to avoid any more groin injury setbacks Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Rory Smith 11:00PM GMT 09 Mar 2011
Rory's Twitter
Though his club remain hopeful of a speedy recovery, Gerrard is a major doubt for England’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Wales on March 25.
The 30-year-old midfielder remained at Liverpool’s Melwood base on Wednesday as the rest of his team-mates flew to Portugal for their Europa League last-16 first-leg fixture against Braga.
He is expected to consult an expert on Thursday, with the club hopeful of having a more accurate prognosis by Friday morning.
Gerrard, who only featured in Sunday’s win against Manchester United following intensive treatment, has been plagued by the injury since the Feb 6 victory at Chelsea and his manager, Kenny Dalglish, is adamant the club will take whatever measures are required – including an operation – to cure the problem.
“It is a minimal problem, but if it needs to be fixed, and it takes some time to be fixed, we will get it fixed,” he said.
Gerrard does, at least, have time on his side – Liverpool have just one more domestic engagement this month, the visit to Sunderland following the two legs against Braga. However, that will be scant consolation for England manager Fabio Capello.
Though Dalglish is at pains to point out that Liverpool are a better side with Gerrard than without, he can take solace in the fact that he can replace his talismanic captain with the in-form Raul Meireles.
The Portuguese midfielder returns to his homeland reinvented not simply in terms of style - his tally of five goals in six games earlier this season was a personal best, brought about by his reinvention as an attacking midfielder - but image.
Almost his first act as a Liverpool player was to visit a barber; after just one Premier League game, he decided to shave his head. It was not, though, an attempt to prove he is tough enough for England.
“I did not have too much hair before,” he explained. “My first game, against Birmingham, I saw a picture in a newspaper of me putting in a cross and it looked like I almost did not have any hair.
"The weather in England, with the wind and the rain, is not good for your hair, so I let my daughter shave it off. She is only six - it was a little dangerous, maybe, but I trust her. She did a good job. I am better like this. It is the English style.”
Probable teams
Braga (4-2-3-1): Artur; Garcia, Kaka, Rodriguez, Silvio; Salino, Hugo Viana; Alan, Mossoro, Paulo Cesar; Lima.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Wilson; Lucas, Poulsen; Kuyt, Meireles, Cole; Ngog.
Referee: S Gumienny (Belgium).
Steven Gerrard will seek specialist help in an effort to cure his long-standing groin injury amid fears the Liverpool captain may yet require surgery.
Time out: Steven Gerrard is keen to avoid any more groin injury setbacks Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Rory Smith 11:00PM GMT 09 Mar 2011
Rory's Twitter
Though his club remain hopeful of a speedy recovery, Gerrard is a major doubt for England’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Wales on March 25.
The 30-year-old midfielder remained at Liverpool’s Melwood base on Wednesday as the rest of his team-mates flew to Portugal for their Europa League last-16 first-leg fixture against Braga.
He is expected to consult an expert on Thursday, with the club hopeful of having a more accurate prognosis by Friday morning.
Gerrard, who only featured in Sunday’s win against Manchester United following intensive treatment, has been plagued by the injury since the Feb 6 victory at Chelsea and his manager, Kenny Dalglish, is adamant the club will take whatever measures are required – including an operation – to cure the problem.
“It is a minimal problem, but if it needs to be fixed, and it takes some time to be fixed, we will get it fixed,” he said.
Gerrard does, at least, have time on his side – Liverpool have just one more domestic engagement this month, the visit to Sunderland following the two legs against Braga. However, that will be scant consolation for England manager Fabio Capello.
Though Dalglish is at pains to point out that Liverpool are a better side with Gerrard than without, he can take solace in the fact that he can replace his talismanic captain with the in-form Raul Meireles.
The Portuguese midfielder returns to his homeland reinvented not simply in terms of style - his tally of five goals in six games earlier this season was a personal best, brought about by his reinvention as an attacking midfielder - but image.
Almost his first act as a Liverpool player was to visit a barber; after just one Premier League game, he decided to shave his head. It was not, though, an attempt to prove he is tough enough for England.
“I did not have too much hair before,” he explained. “My first game, against Birmingham, I saw a picture in a newspaper of me putting in a cross and it looked like I almost did not have any hair.
"The weather in England, with the wind and the rain, is not good for your hair, so I let my daughter shave it off. She is only six - it was a little dangerous, maybe, but I trust her. She did a good job. I am better like this. It is the English style.”
Probable teams
Braga (4-2-3-1): Artur; Garcia, Kaka, Rodriguez, Silvio; Salino, Hugo Viana; Alan, Mossoro, Paulo Cesar; Lima.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Wilson; Lucas, Poulsen; Kuyt, Meireles, Cole; Ngog.
Referee: S Gumienny (Belgium).
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from now on I will skip talking about our finances. That is a promise and will save myself from looking like a 
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