Jermaine Pennant has pleaded innocence over the red card he invited in Porto on Tuesday night but of far greater annoyance to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is the potential loss of two integral parts of his Anfield squad.
Daniel Agger and Xabi Alonso under went scans on respective foot injuries on their return from Portugal yesterday amid concerns that they face prolonged absences from Liverpool's domestic and European campaigns.
The Denmark defender Agger was assessed for a suspected broken metatarsal having aggravated an injury during training on the eve of the Champions League opener at Estadio do Dragao.
The 22-year-old will be absent for at least six weeks if results this morning confirm he has fallen victim to the metatarsal curse.
Agger had been expected to play in Tuesday's game despite feeling discomfort in his right foot following Saturday's 0-0 draw at Portsmouth.
However, the pain worsened through training on Monday night and he was named a substitute against Porto instead, which fuelled the belief he had been rotated for the more experienced defender Sami Hyypia.
The Liverpool manager had also to revise his midfield plans against Jesualdo Ferreira's side when Alonso limped out of the same training session with a foot injury sustained at Fratton Park.
Liverpool also expect to discover today whether the Spaniard, who disembarked the flight back from Portugal wearing a protective cast on his left foot, has suffered ligament damage or a fracture.
The potential loss of Agger holds the greatest worry for Benitez, the manager having failed in his efforts to sign proven central defensive cover during the summer.
Alonso's absence would also be a major setback for Liverpool's Premier League aspirations, although they are well-stocked in central midfield.
Benitez's insistence that Pennant must learn from his sending off in Portugal appears a forlorn hope after the England hopeful claimed the dismissal was actually unwarranted.
The winger was rebuked by his manager for an unnecessary foul on the left-back Fucile that brought a second yellow card and a one-match suspension for the next group fixture at home to Marseille. There could be further punishment from Uefa if the referee Lubos Michel mentions Pennant's delayed departure from the pitch in his official match report.
"I didn't think it was the right decision to send me off," insisted Pennant yesterday. "It wasn't a yellow card because it wasn't a serious foul, and I didn't touch the Porto player anyway.
"He made a meal of it, so it was way too harsh. The whistling from the crowd influences the referee and makes his decision easier, probably.
"The referees are harsher in Europe and I was baffled by him all night.
"I definitely have to learn from the fact there is a difference in how the referees approach games in Europe."
Guardian Service
