Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur preview - Reds have Carroll in contention
Posted Sunday, May 15, 2011 by PA
Liverpool striker Andy Carroll could return to the squad to face Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.
The £35million record signing has missed two of the last three matches with a knee injury sustained at Arsenal in mid-April but trained this week and may take his place on the bench.
Midfielder Raul Meireles was forced off with a minor injury in Monday's 5-2 demolition of Fulham but has also trained with the squad.
Tottenham defender William Gallas will miss out with a calf injury which looks to have ended his season.
Ledley King could feature at Anfield, though, after making a successful comeback from his groin problem during a reserves match in midweek.
Gareth Bale (ankle), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (hamstring), Heurelho Gomes (back) and Jermaine Jenas (thigh) are definitely out.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has stressed it is not imperative for the club to spend big this summer.
Owners Fenway Sports Group are preparing for their first extended transfer window, having only bought the club last October, but showed in January they are prepared to sanction major spending when it is required.
Having sold Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel to Chelsea and Hoffenheim respectively, the Americans sanctioned the use of the £56million income to buy club record signings Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez for a combined #57.8million.
Now Dalglish has been confirmed as permanent manager, it is natural FSG will want to back the club icon as he looks to build on the success he has enjoyed since first taking over control of the team in January.
Liverpool have been linked with a whole host of players but, while there will be changes to the squad, the Reds boss has no desire to spend for the sake of it.
"Whether is it massively or cheaply, it doesn't make any difference as long as you spend well," said the 60-year-old, whose side can secure fifth place and Europa League football with a win over Tottenham.
"Budgets are all very well and good but it doesn't guarantee you anything.
"But as long as your players are playing well you have a chance.
"Like every other club there will be movement in and out and I am sure there will be plenty of speculation - some we might even recognise the names of.
"We will be doing business but the better we do the business the more successful we will be."
Director of football Damien Comolli is in charge of finding the players to bolster Dalglish's playing staff but he, like the manager, has been impressed by how the current squad have responded to the Scot's methods despite criticism earlier in the season they did not have enough quality.
"Players going out, coming in is the game but I think we have to respect what the current players have done this season and they have done tremendously since January," said the Frenchman.
"If you take the points average per game since January we are second in the league and that is a fantastic turnaround.
"There are two massive games we need to play and we need to focus on those rather than talk about who is going to come in and who is going to go out - that is for later.
"We know where we are going but we absolutely concentrate on this season."
Harry Redknapp has no regrets over his failure to sign Uruguay striker Luis Suarez.
The 24-year-old was on Redknapp's radar as the Spurs boss searched for a partner for Rafael van der Vaart, only to sign for Kenny Dalglish's team for #22.8million in January.
Adapting swiftly to the Premier league, Suarez has fired four goals in 11 appearances and Redknapp has been impressed with his progress.
"Suarez has done very well. We looked at him and kept looking at him. We talked about signing him," he said.
"People felt he couldn't play as a striker and I had Rafa.
"People said you can't play him and Rafa, you'd have two players who want to drop deep, so that was the problem.
"But he played up front on his own the other night at Fulham and was fantastic. He looks a top player.
"There's no regret that we didn't go in for him, that's how it goes. You can't sign everybody.
"We had Rafa and if anything we were looking for someone to play up front with Rafa.
"Suarez and Andy Carroll could be a real handful together next season."
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