ESPNsoccernet: England 
"You miss a player of that quality, but it will give us a lift
to have him out there."
Monday, January 5, 2009
Rafa warns Reds to quell Cup derby fever
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has warned Liverpool must contain
their anticipation over the Merseyside derby FA Cup tie which is
sure to be the talk of their city all month - because there are
important matches to be won in the meantime for his
table-toppers.
Liverpool and Everton will clash twice in a week, in the Premier
League on January 19 and then in the fourth round of the cup the
following weekend.
With both games at Anfield, Benitez knows a crucial stage
beckons in Liverpool's quest for both the league title and Cup.
He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It is a draw which will excite
everyone in the city, because everyone knows about the great
rivalry that exists between the two clubs.
"But we must remember that we have some big games coming up in
the league before the cup tie - and we will be taking one game at a
time.
"Only when the cup game comes around will it become our focus.
Before then we play Stoke and Everton in the league, so we must
keep our attention on those matches.
"But it is good to have so many important matches, because it
shows that your team is doing well."
Reds defender Jamie
Carragher sees the return of forward Fernando
Torres, who scored on his comeback from injury on Saturday in
the third-round win at Preston, as vital to Liverpool's aspirations
this season.
Torres had not played since November because of a hamstring
problem, but his late goal completed a 2-0 win at Deepdale.
Carragher said: "Having Torres back has given everyone a big
lift. It is great when you see a player of that calibre coming back
for the second half of the season.
"We hope the time he has been out will refresh him, because he
had a long season with the Euro 2008 finals last summer.
"A lot of players have played a lot of games this season,
because the manager hasn't changed it around so much.
"It has been a feather in the cap for everyone concerned with
the club that we have reached the top of the table without having
the best striker in the world in the side.
