Rafa: no Liverpool Gerrard bust up

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has denied talk that Steven Gerrard and himself had an argument at the end of the Stoke City match, insisting that Gerrard's presence was simply for morale boosting purposes.

The Liverpool boss said: “Steven wanted to show his commitment. He was in the dressing room with me, Sammy, Pellegrino and the rest of the players and staff. There is no problem.

“He is very disappointed that we have not won these games like everyone else but he was here to help. He is the captain and he was here supporting the team. People were asking me about rumours of a disagreement but it is 100percent not true. He knows it is important to be with the team.”