Broken rib rules out Carragher

Aug 27 2007 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL have been rocked by scan results that have confirmed that defensive lynchpin Jamie Carragher has suffered a collapsed lung as well as a broken rib.

It remains unclear how long the player will be out for but fellow central defender Sami Hyypia, who was also withdrawn from Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sunderland due to a broken nose, is fit to play tomorrow against Toulouse.

Club spokesman Ian Cotton said: “Jamie underwent a series of investigations on Sunday morning which confirmed he has a broken rib and has also developed a pneumothorax (collapsed lung).

“He will continue to be monitored but at this stage no further treatment will be required.

“Sami has a broken nose but will be available for the second leg of our Champions League qualifier.”

Manager Rafael Benitez lost another central defensive option over the weekend by sending Gabriel Paletta back to Argentina with the 21 year-old joining Boca Juniors for an undisclosed fee.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Pepe Reina admits that the awful start Liverpool made away from home last season was a lesson for his team which made them increasingly determined to put things right this term.

Saturday’s hard-fought success, thanks to Momo Sissoko’s first goal for the club and a late Andriy Voronin strike, ensured that Liverpool recorded back-to-back victories from their first two away games of the new campaign having already triumphed 2-1 at Aston Villa on the opening day.

The bright start from a Liverpool side determined to end the wait for their 19th domestic championship, which stretches back to 1990, contrasts sharply to the woeful early away form of 12 months ago when the team failed to record a league win away from Anfield until December, by which time their title chances had already realistically ended.

Reina said: “We knew that we needed to start well at the start of the season in order for us to be real contenders.

“Little by little, step by step, we are making things easier and we have to keep winning with a mentality like this.

“Our mistake last year was the beginning of the season, we took just two points from the first 21 (available away from home) and you cannot win a title with this kind of start.

“Maybe things are changing and we can keep like this.”

Those present at the Stadium of Light on Saturday were fortunate enough to witness a little piece of history as Malian international midfielder Sissoko broke his scoring duck for the club in his 75th appearance with a sweetly-struck 20-yard effort – which was also Liverpool’s 7,000th league goal.

Reina admitted that the sight of Sissoko ending his barren run in front of goal with such an impressive effort, left him and his team-mates rather giddy.

He said: “Momo deserved his goal, we were happy for him and really excited. It was funny for him. I could hardly believe it, it was a great goal.

“Some other times he was close like the Barcelona game at home. But it was important for us to get ahead and help us to relax.”

But while Liverpool’s first was a great solo effort, Voronin’s second completed an impressive four-man cross-field move.

Reina was particularly pleased with the goal as he admitted it was not easy for his side to come into such a game so soon after many of them had been away on international duty for their respective countries.

He said: “The second goal was a good counter attack and a good finish.

“We’d created a lot of chances and missed many of them but it’s important to create them.

“It is difficult when we come back after the international break and play an early kick-off.

“The other teams play on Saturday evening or even Sunday and it’s not easy for us.

“The clean sheet is important for team confidence but I’ve said many times the most important thing is the three points and we got them.”