Daniel Agger injury a blow - but we can cope

Mar 15 2008
by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo


RAFA BENITEZ today backed Martin Skrtel to continue filling the void left by Daniel Agger after the Danish defender was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Agger was given the shattering news that he would not play again during this campaign after it was decided that surgery was the only way of solving his long standing metatarsal problem.
Although he recently played two games for Liverpool’s reserve team, the 23-year-old continued to feel pain in his foot and after consulting with three leading specialists he will now have an operation on Monday in a bid to solve the problem once and for all.
That will mean Benitez will have to do without Agger until the start of next season but the Reds boss believes recent signing Skrtel is proving himself a more than able deputy.
He said: “It is really bad for us to lose Daniel because he is a very good player and we are also very disappointed for him.
“He will need an operation because he is feeling pain again so we need to find a solution and on Monday he will go to see the surgeon.
“Daniel is disappointed and we are disappointed because he is a key player for us and we have been without him for almost the whole season.
“But at least now, the problem can be solved and he can start again in the new season and he will have more confidence.
“Also, we have Skrtel who has come in and done a very good job for us.
“We knew we needed a centre back and he gives us the competition for places we needed in this position.
“Losing Daniel is a blow but at least we have another very good centre back who can do well for us.”
Meanwhile, Benitez refused to be drawn into the inevitable hype which followed Liverpool being drawn against Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The way the draw panned out, there is a possibility that Liverpool would have to beat the three teams currently above them in the Premiership if they are to win their sixth European Cup.
But the boss does not want to look too far ahead to potential meetings with Chelsea in the semi-final and Man United in the final, preferring to fall back on the old adage of taking each game as it comes.
He said: “I think we knew it would be a difficult draw because it is the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
“Arsenal are a good team but we also have confidence at this point so we will see.
“We will play Arsenal three times in six days now because we also play them in the league in between but it is the same for both teams and we both have the same problem. We cannot look too far ahead though, we have to take one step at a time.