Fábio Aurélio injury adds to Liverpool's woes
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/12/liverpool-brazil• Benítez's injury list growing ahead of Man City game
• Pressure at Anfield 'worse' than with Brazil, says midfielder
Liverpool's Fabio Aurélio has been forced to pull out of Brazil's squad to face England after suffering a muscle injury, his national federation has confirmed. The left-sided defender, who can also play in midfield, will miss the match in Doha and Brazil's friendly against Oman.
His injury is another cause of concern for Rafael Benítez, who is likely to have a severely weakened squad for Liverpool's next Premier League game, at home against Manchester City on 21 November, with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Albert Riera and Yossi Benayoun all receiving treatment. The manager does, however, expect Glen Johnson to be available after a hamstring strain.
The Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has revealed that the pressure he currently experiences playing for his club side is worse than the weight of expectation he carries when featuring for the five-times World Cup winners, Brazil.
Lucas has been a regular in Benítez's struggling Liverpool side this season, with the team having won only once in their past nine games in all competitions. That sequence has left them trailing the Premier League leaders, Chelsea, by 11 points after only 12 matches and on the brink of elimination from the Champions League.
"Right now, the pressure of playing for Liverpool is worse than for Brazil," said the midfielder, who could start against England on Saturday after Juventus' Felipe Melo hobbled out of the team's training session at the Al Gharafa Sports Club tonight.
"In Brazil we have already qualified [for the World Cup] and we will, of course, have pressure in playing a big team like England. But at Liverpool now it is worse.
"We are in a difficult situation right now. We have to fight to qualify for the Champions League and the Premier League, too. First of all we have to get into the top four. Against Lyon, United and even in the last game, against Birmingham we played well but we conceded goals with mistakes. Hopefully the international break has come at a good time for us. Some players are injured so, hopefully, they will have time to return to fitness for the next game."
Lucas is much maligned figure at Anfield, where he has commanded a regular first-place since Xabi Alonso's sale to Real Madrid in the summer, but has shown signs in recent weeks of winning over the doubters.
"I know the pressure now at Liverpool is difficult and, while I am thinking about the games for the national team now [against England and then in Oman on Tuesday] I know I have to go back and help the situation. Even now, even here, I don't feel well about what is happening. No one feels well about it. But if we keep the same mentality, we can get out of it. It is a time when we need to stick together."