As if Rafa Benitez and Liverpool's woes couldn't get any worse after their 3-1 loss against Fulham on Saturday, word came this week that both his top stars, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, might need surgery in the next month.
Torres has been dealing with a sports hernia injury, while Gerrard picked up a groin injury while playing for England last month. Much has been made of the club's recent woes, and their match today in Lyon will not be any easier without Gerrard. Torres remains questionable and made the trip to France with the rest of the squad.
Today's match in Lyon is huge for Liverpool. Their French opponents will undoubtedly be fired up, as they seal passage to the knockout stages with at least a point. A defeat could spell doom for the Reds, who sit six points behind the Group E leaders.
Everton's Arteta remains sidelined
Spanish midfielder Mikael Arteta, so crucial to the Toffes' success in recent times, was dealt a blow to his comeback bid after an infection was cleaned out in his injured knee. Arteta has been out since February when he injured a cruciate ligament in his knee. The recovery was set to be lengthy, but will now extended even further after this setback. No timeline has been set on the extension, as Everton continue to be ravaged by injuries.
Ferguson bashes European referee's decision
No matter the nationality, referees always seem to get under the skin of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman has been in vibrant form when it comes to his remarks about referees, and on the heels of his club's 3-3 draw against CSKA Moscow, lamented about the yellow card given to Darren Fletcher, saying that the decision was "one of the worst I've ever seen."
Ferguson has made a habit of vocalizing his criticisms of referees, this time showing that it's not just the English-based refs he doesn't agree with. In his defense, Fletcher appeared to be tripped in the box, and the decision could have easily gone the other way and Manchester United awarded a penalty.
Ives Galarcep is an American soccer columnist for ESPNsoccernet.com and creator of SoccerByIves.net.
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