Although the main talking point to come out of Liverpool boss Brendan Rodger’s pre-match press conference for Manchester City is that he can’t discuss Mario Balotelli, the Northern Irishman did discuss a number of other items and one of them is player availability for Monday’s trip to Manchester City.
After missing out on the Reds 2-1 win over Southampton last Sunday, Serbian winger Lazar Markovic will be in the squad that lines up on at the Etihad Stadium with Rodgers confirming that he’s shaken off the hamstring problem he picked up during pre-season. “Markovic will come into the squad,” explained the Liverpool boss. “He has been excellent in training and has worked very hard to come back.”
Along with the 20-year old, fullback Alberto Moreno could make his first appearance in the famous red shirt after completing his protracted move from Sevilla last week. “He’ll be in the squad, he comes in fit. He’s a young player that is very dynamic going forward” said Rodgers when asked specifically about the defender. “He gives us balance – he has got a great left foot, passes it well and sees the pass early. He gets forward on the outside and can penetrate on the inside.”
Facing off against Manchester City this early in the season will be a massive test for Liverpool, but it’s one that Rodgers believes Moreno can help out in. “He’s very hungry and keen to learn; he has got good experience and comes in as a winner. He won the Europa League last year so he comes in with a good mentality. At 22, he has still got a lot of development in him. He’ll pick up the pace very quickly” he continued. “He comes in as a regular starter from Sevilla so I expect him to show over the coming years that he’s a really attacking player that will fit Liverpool perfectly.”
