Liverpool’s comprehensive weekend victory over arch-rivals Manchester United at Anfield, sealed by Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt’s first Liverpool hat-trick, restored their place in the EPL’s top six, keeping next year’s European qualification hopes alive as they play in the last 16 of this year’s Europa League.

Manager Kenny Dalglish, however, has to contend with injuries to and unavailabilities of key players. And there is growing disquiet at club owners Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) continuing delay in offering the managerial role to Dalglish on a permanent basis.

Meanwhile, Dalglish’s predecessor, Roy Hodgson, has claimed he was “unlucky” during his fraught six-month spell in the Anfield hotseat.

 

The Reds go into their Europa League tie with Portuguese side Sporting Braga without talismanic captain and midfielder Steven Gerrard. The club did not offer an official explanation, although the injury-prone England international has recently been suffering with a groin injury.

£35m striker Andy Carroll looks set to feature in the first leg in Portugal this evening, with leading member of Liverpool’s medical staff Peter Brukner predicting that the 22-year-old will “play some more minutes against Braga and hopefully be involved more and more.”

Defender Fabio Aurelio, however, will be out of action for a month after tearing a hamstring midway through the first half of Liverpool’s 3-1 win over United last Sunday.

Aurelio had just return from an adductor strain and, according to Brukner, had “trained all week with no problems at all.” But he now joins full-back Martin Kelly on the list of injured Liverpool hamstrings.

Despite Liverpool’s swift climb up the EPL table, there are still no definite signs that 59-year-old Dalglish will get the permanent Liverpool deal he is seeking.

Reports emerged last month that he had been offered a two-year contract, a compromise between the four years he wanted and the rolling one-year deal FSG reportedly favoured.

But these were dismissed by club sources and the situation remains unresolved.

Hodgson told the BBC last weekend that he hadn’t been “particularly lucky” during his 31-match tenure, the shortest-ever Anfield managerial reign.

But he added: “I had no problem with the players. I’m pleased to see the misfortune I suffered from has been turned around. Even in our misfortune, I had no doubt they would finish at worst seventh or eighth or even higher – that prediction I made for myself is coming true.”

Liverpool are without an EPL fixture this coming weekend.