Will the skipper start at the weekend?
Steven Gerrard has a ‘good’ chance of taking part in the fixture at the weekend when the reds take on Sunderland at The Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats have had an impressive start to the season and Liverpool will require as strong a squad as possible to take up there.
Benitez is believed to be disappointed that England did not release Steven Gerrard back to his club as was originally suggested, and the player even took part in a training session on Tuesday with the rest of the England team.
According to England, the decision to stay with England and not return to Liverpool was Steven Gerrard’s.
Liverpool will be welcoming home the European contingent of the squad today. Mascherano, Insua and Leiva are not expected to return to Anfield until later tonight – with only a brief training session before the trip up to Sunderland.
The internationals have placed huge pressure on Liverpool this last 10 days and it will require some effort to avoid a hangover this weekend.
