KENNY DALGLISH believes Andy Carroll has the confidence to fill the breach left by Luis Suarez and take the fight to former club Newcastle United tomorrow.

Liverpool’s record signing Carroll is almost certain to start the Premier League clash against the Magpies with Suarez serving a one-match ban after yesterday admitting a Football Association charge of improper conduct for an abusive hand gesture following the 1-0 defeat at Fulham earlier this month.

Carroll has attracted growing criticism having netted only three times this season, with his last goal coming in the 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion two months ago.

Boxing Day’s frustrating 1-1 draw at home to rock-bottom Blackburn Rovers was only the 22-year-old’s second start in the last seven Premier League games, with the striker twice brilliantly denied a goal by stand-in goalkeeper Mark Bunn.

But Dalglish has faith the forward, who has scored five times in 28 appearances since arriving from Newcastle in January, can cope with life at Anfield.

“I don’t think self-belief is a problem for Andy Carroll and I don’t see why it should be,” said the Liverpool manager. “I don’t think there’s any evidence there to say he is short of self-belief.

“For us he has come here and gone about his work very well. He is adjusting to life at a new club with new philosophies and a new way of playing.

“Every week there’s questions about Andy. Someone has got some furtive imagination there about the lifestyle that big Andy leads compared to the one that we know he leads.

“He is adapting well to the change and we’ll keep working with him because fortunately for Andy we’ve got much greater belief in him than a lot of people have.

“The boy played well (against Blackburn), the keeper made a really good save in the first half when Andy volleyed it and he’s caught it while sat down two yards away.