Liverpool sweat on Gerrard

Benitez is not ruling out the midfielder's absence from the Champions League clash qualifier due to a thigh strain.

The Liverpool fans will hope Steven Gerrard can be fit in less than a week.

LIVERPOOL // The Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is hopeful Steven Gerrard will be out for no more than a week after the Reds captain picked up a thigh strain. The England midfielder suffered the injury during Tuesday's 4-1 victory over Norwegian side Valerenga and could now miss next week's Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege.

Gerrard limped off in the first half of Liverpool's comfortable win and Benitez hopes he will recover in time to face the Belgians, but he cannot yet be inked in for the game. "It is a thigh strain. We need to wait but it could be one week," Benitez said. Liverpool would not want to take any risks with Gerrard. However, his presence against Liege would be welcome as the Reds attempt to take a big stride towards the group stages.

Goals from Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, David Ngog and Yossi Benayoun carried Liverpool to a comfortable victory against thrashed Rangers 4-0 at Ibrox. Benitez said: "It was another good work out. It was a good game, with four goals for us and good play. "But the players aren't 100 per cent yet - that would be difficult right now. The other team were fitter than us but you could see we were passing, pressing and the understanding between the players was better. I am really pleased with the result.

"Normally when you have quality, when you are playing well and creating chances, you will score goals." Liverpool's next opponents will be Lazio, who visit Anfield tomorrow in a match Gerrard appears sure to miss. However Benitez is optimistic about the talent emerging at Anfield, and has hailed his scouting network for finding players such as 19-year-old Ngog, the summer recruit from Paris St Germain.

"They are finding players like Ngog, players with quality who are not a high price," said Benitez. Meanwhile, Blackburn have signed the younger brother of Paraguay international striker Roque Santa Cruz. Rovers have signed Julio, 18, on a three-year deal subject to international clearance. The former Chelsea player Claude Makelele is struggling to make Paris St Germain's Ligue 1 opener against Monaco this weekend.

The former France midfielder, a free-transfer signing from Chelsea this summer, has been nursing an injury to his right thigh. It forced him to miss PSG's 3-0 win over Qatari side Al Khor in a behind-closed-doors friendly yesterday, and he is unlikely to be back for the clash against Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Saturday. Ludovic Giuly, another summer recruit, has also been hampered by an injury (ankle) but he came on as a substitute against Al Khor and scored the third goal.

The winger should be thrust into the starting line-up for the Monaco game. Striker Guillaume Hourau scored the other two goals after he came on as a substitute. * PA Sport