Rafael Benitez made it clear after Liverpool's 0-0 draw away to
PSV Eindhoven in their opening Champions League Group C match that
not even Steven Gerrard can be certain of a place in the
side.
Rafa Benitez left captain Steven Gerrard on the bench in
Holland.The Liverpool boss is imposing a rigid equality over his
expensively assembled squad, and what happened to Craig Bellamy at
the weekend - left at home watching the Merseyside derby on
television - could just as easily happen to Gerrard.
The Anfield skipper was one of six players axed from the side that
lost the Mersey derby to Everton on Saturday, and Benitez
explained: 'Steven was on the bench as were several other senior
players, Xabi Alonso, Peter Crouch, Sami Hyypia, but people only
mention Gerrard.
'We must accept that nobody can play at 100% for every match, it
was a very difficult game against Everton and you can see that the
players who were involved for all that game were on the
bench.
'If you are not 100% fit and ready then you will be rested like
that. It will happen to different players.'
Liverpool secured an encouraging point at the Philips Stadium to
get their campaign off to a good start, but Gerrard could easily
have won it for them with a stunning volley against a post after
coming on as substitute.
Benitez said: 'He came on at the right time, we had needed to cover
and work to stop their penetrating passes and that is why Momo
Sissoko started. He has fantastic stamina, better than Alonso or
Gerrard can reach.
'Now we have more options and we can use players in this way. We
were intent on a clean sheet after that happened on Saturday, and
we defended well and created enough chances to have won the
match.'
PSV boss Ronald Koeman admitted his surprise at Liverpool's
line-up, saying: 'When I saw their team sheet I was shocked. No
Gerrard, no Alonso, no Hyypia, no Crouch.
'In the end though I was happy with a draw, especially because
Liverpool used eight men behind the ball for much of the
game.
'Gerrard could have won it for them at the end, but I was pleased
with our performance. We have made many changes during the summer
and it takes time for new players to adapt, so to get a result like
this is encouraging for us.
'But we can get better. I did not use Patrick Kluivert because he
is not fully fit yet and it was a very high level to ask him to
come into. But he will play on Sunday here against Feyenoord.
'But drawing this one means that we will probably now have to win
an away game at either Galatasaray or Bordeaux, those two sides
drew their match 0-0 as well so the group is very tight.'
