Jamie Carragher: Fernando Torres absence is a big hole for us to fill

Oct 30 2007 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

JAMIE CARRAGHER has admitted that Fernando Torres’s injury will leave a void in attack for ‘under pressure’ Liverpool.

The £18million summer recruit from Atletico Madrid is facing three weeks on the sidelines after picking up an adductor injury in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Anfield.

Rafael Benitez will learn the extent of Xabi Alonso’s toe injury today when the player visits a consultant while Javier Mascherano’s X-ray showed bruising rather than any bone injury.

Torres’s absence could now provide an Anfield lifeline for Peter Crouch.

Despite being Liverpool’s top scorer with 18 goals last season, the England international has played just over two hours of Premier League football so far this season.

However, Carragher believes that Crouch has what it takes to relaunch his Liverpool career after testing Arsenal’s defence in the second half.

He said: “Unfortunately we have picked up some more injuries. Torres will be a big loss, but Peter Crouch was excellent when he came on.

“But we have been under a the cosh a bit from the critics, who seem to have

forgotten that we are still unbeaten in the league ourselves this season.”

Carragher added: “We have been under pressure, people keep saying how bad we have been, but I didn’t feel that pressure despite everything that has been written about us since we lost in Istanbul.

“We know we have had too many draws. We have just held Arsenal, which we feel is a good result, but we now must improve our home form.”

Carragher has no doubt about Arsenal’s title credentials after a stirring showdown with the Gunners at Anfield.

The defender stood defiant against waves of attacks from the north Londoners but he believes that Arsene Wenger’s side are so talented, it was like facing an extra man.

Carragher said: “Are Arsenal as good as people say they are? You’d better believe it, I thought they had 12 men out there!”

Worrying injury blows robbed Liverpool of Torres and Alonso during the frenetic battle on Sunday and they finished with Javier Mascherano as a passenger due to a foot injury.

The timescale of Alonso’s absence is yet to be set out after it was confirmed he fractured the fourth metatarsal in his left foot.

Mascherano left the stadium with his left leg encased in a medical ’boot’ although it was revealed yesterday he had suffered nothing more than severe bruising.

But at least Liverpool had shown defiance and spirit against Arsene Wenger’s exhilarating side.

Carragher said: “Arsenal are a great side, but we were very close to them, we are just six points behind and it was nearly a couple less with that display.

“We battled hard, and we are proud of the way we played with commitment and effort, but Arsenal did play well, they are going to be a tough side to catch.

Fellow defender Steve Finnan accepted Arsenal’s quality, saying: “I suppose they were good enough to win the match because of the chances and possession they had.

“We were unlucky with the new injuries, three players could be out, I just hope we can cope with the people who are missing.

“But Danny Agger will be fit soon and hopefully some of the new injuries will not be as bad as people think.”

He added: “We know we have not played as well as we can this season, but we are still undefeated in the league after 10 games.

“We need to win rather than draw, but I am sure we will be playing better in the near future.

“We have to stay up at the top, we cannot afford to fall behind, but we still believe we can go very close this season.”