• Europa League

Liverpool leave Gerrard and Torres at home

ESPNsoccernet staff
October 20, 2010
Steven Gerrard has been unable to inspire Liverpool this season © Getty Images
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Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will stay on Merseyside when under-pressure Liverpool travel to Italy for Thursday's Europa League tie against Napoli.

With the Reds sitting in the relegation zone after eight games in the Premier League, manager Roy Hodgson has clearly prioritised the weekend's clash against Blackburn Rovers.

Glen Johnson (injury) and Daniel Agger (illness) are missing, while midfielders Lucas and Raul Meireles have also been given a rest. Christian Poulsen is back in the squad after missing the Merseyside derby defeat to Everton on Sunday.

Prior to announcing his squad, Hodgson confirmed that the Europa League was currently a secondary consideration given Liverpool's league predicament.

"I'll leave some players out - that's for sure," Hodgson said. "Some of the more important senior players won't travel because their participation on Sunday is going to be so important to us.

"It's not just a question of playing three matches in a week - it's also a question of injury. I don't think our squad is so strong that I can afford to risk them.

"But it'll still be a strong team we put out there and I think it's a chance for some players who have been on the fringes, like David Ngog, and others like Ryan Babel, who has had very few chances.

"It's yet another opportunity for these players to blast their way into the team and force me to look at them in a different light, to make sure they are players that are first on the list and not down the pecking order."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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