Looks like Jones coming off the bench unless Keane play a 4:4:2
Liverpool stare into abyss as Champions League exile looms
by Mark Ogden
February 2, 2008
LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Jamie Carragher has conceded that Liverpool go into Saturday's clash with Sunderland with a fight on their hands to secure Champions League qualification this season after admitting that Rafa Benitez's team are now no-hopers in the race for the Premier League title.
Having spent in excess of 40 million pounds on the likes of Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun, Liverpool had been billed as serious challengers for the title this season.
But having lost at West Ham to an injury-time Mark Noble penalty in midweek, Benitez's team are 17 points behind leaders Manchester United and hopes of a first league title since 1990 have been quashed.
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Now, the prospect of missing out on Champions League qualification is a growing possibility and former England defender Carragher, who recently played his 500th game for Liverpool, admits that Benitez's squad must focus on sealing a top four finish rather than continuing to dream about the title.
He said: "I think the league has gone and we've got to realise that we're fighting with Everton, Aston Villa and Manchester City for that top four place.
"I've always said that you get what you deserve in football and, if results aren't going well like they're not at the moment, that's something we've got to turn around quickly.
"The teams at the top of the table are a long way away and we've got to just focus on the Sunderland game on Saturday and try and get three points from that. It's been a few games now since we got all three points and we need to get more points on the board."
Despite their hugely disappointing league campaign, which has increased the uncertainty surrounding Benitez's future as manager, Liverpool remain in the FA Cup and Champions League and Carragher believes that those competitions can be the club's salvation this season.
He said: "It's not all doom and gloom. We're still in two very big cup competitions and, as I say, we want to do well in them.
"I think the desire is there, but the league form isn't good enough and the sooner we sort that out the better.
"At the moment things aren't going for us, but I don't think it's about luck. West Ham is a tough place to go and obviously we are not playing great and confidence is a bit low, but if we'd got a point there it would have been a step in the right direction."
Rade Prica is likely to start his first game for Sunderland after making an impressive appearance as a substitute in their midweek victory over Birmingham City, which lifted Roy Keane's side out of the relegation zone.
The Swedish striker, signed from Danish club Aalborg, scored within 20 minutes and had another goal ruled out for offside and he did enough to convince Keane that he is ready to start at Anfield.
Prica said: "The win against Birmingham was very important, but we have to concentrate and take one game at a time. We have to think about Liverpool now."
The Swede is even coping well with the winter weather in the North East of England. Keane has described recent 80mph winds as a "nightmare" disruption to their training sessions.
But the manager added: "I had a word with Rade about it and he thought it wasn't too bad. So there's hope for him!"
