Liverpool have confirmed that captain Steven Gerrard and
star striker Fernando Torres have both been passed fit for
Saturday’s crunch tie with Manchester United.
Rafa Benitez's two most influential players had been contending
with fitness problems ahead of the game at Anfield but the Spaniard
has included both players in his squad to face the reigning
champions after they trained at Melwood on Friday.
Gerrard has recovered from a groin operation that forced him to
miss England's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia,
while Torres has shaken off a hamstring problem.
The inclusion of the Spain striker is something of a surprise as
Reds chief executive Rick Parry had stated only on Friday morning
that Torres would be missing for the meeting of two of English
football's most historic clubs.
The deep rivalry between Manchester and Merseyside will ensure
one of the more heated atmospheres of the season on Saturday and
the news of the two players' availability will be a huge relief for
Benitez.
The manager has not enjoyed a league win over United since
arriving in The Premier League in 2004.
