Albert Riera: Injuries and poor form are driving us mental - Liverpool FC latest

Nov 11 2009 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

ALBERT RIERA admits Liverpool are suffering from a mental block as they struggle to overcome their poor run of form and a crippling injury list.

The 2-2 draw with Birmingham City on Monday means the Anfield outfit have won only one of their last nine games to fall 11 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Rafael Benitez’s side are also three points off the Champions League qualification places behind Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

While Steven Gerrard marked his return to fitness with the equaliser against Birmingham, Liverpool entered this week’s international break grappling another injury crisis.

Riera and Yossi Benayoun hobbled off with hamstring problems and are today expected to discover the extent of the damage, with Liverpool fearing the midfield pair could be out for up to a month.

Daniel Agger aggravated a back problem that has forced him to withdraw from Denmark’s forthcoming friendlies against South Korea and the United States.

And Fernando Torres missed the game after beginning a three-week course of rehabilitation aimed at ensuring he does not require an operation on a niggling groin injury.

It means the striker is already a major doubt for the visit of Manchester City on Saturday week, the Champions League clash in Hungary against Debrecen four days later and the Goodison derby on November 29.

And Riera reckons the relentless succession of setbacks is beginning to chip away at Liverpool’s brittle self-confidence.

“We need everybody, not just on the pitch but off it, too, helping each other to be stronger because now our problem could be mental, because we – I don’t like saying this – are untidy,” said the Spaniard.