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Premier League
May 16, 2015 at 5.30pm UK
 
Crystal Palace logo

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Lallana (26')
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Puncheon (43'), Zaha (60'), Murray (91')

Live Coverage: Brendan Rodgers's weekly Liverpool press conference

Follow Sports Mole's live coverage of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers's press conference ahead of his side's Premier League match against Crystal Palace.
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Brendan Rodgers used his pre-match press conference to pay tribute to captain Steven Gerrard ahead of Liverpool's match against Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend.

The skipper will be playing at Anfield for the final time before he leaves for the MLS at the end of the season.

The manager insisted that Gerrard will always be welcome back at the club as part of the coaching staff, while he refused to rule out a loan move for the former England international.

Read what else the manager had to say below.


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Good morning! Brendan Rodgers is due to speak to the media in around 15 minutes as he prepares his side for the visit of Crystal Palace this weekend.

All eyes are likely to be on captain Steven Gerrard tomorrow evening. The skipper is playing his final match at Anfield before leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. The former England international has already admitted that he expects to be pretty emotional to be saying goodbye to the home supporters for the final time.

Another player who will be in the spotlight is Yannick Bolasie. The winger has been in sensational form for Crystal Palace, but has also been linked with a move to Anfield this summer. It would not be a surprise if Rodgers's is asked whether he is interested in Bolasie this morning.

Last time out, Liverpool shared a 1-1 draw with Chelsea, all-but ending their hopes of reaching the Champions League next season. With two fixtures still remaining, the Reds are just six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, but Louis van Gaal's side have a much better goal difference, so Rodgers would have to hope that the Dutchman's team were heavily beaten in their final two outings, which seems unlikely.

Gerrard has already spoken to the media ahead of this match. At his press conference, he said: "I look back at it with pride. I am really proud of what I've achieved here. All the trophies I've won here and all the great memories I have. Not winning the Premier League will be a dint in that, but there's nothing I can do about that now. It's a regret I'll go away with, but I have got to look at the bigger picture. Growing up as a boy, dreaming of playing for Liverpool just that one time, to sitting here now with 708 appearances, I've achieved an awful lot more than I thought I would have at the beginning."

Here's a look at some of the squad in action in training yesterday. Hopefully, Rodgers will be giving us a full update on his players' fitness and availability shortly:


Don't forget, we'll be bringing you live coverage of this match and every other fixture from the Premier League this weekend, so make sure you join us tomorrow evening to see if Liverpool can secure a win in their final home fixture of the season. We'll also bring you all the team news, half-time and full-time updates and loads of post-match reaction.

It has also been reported this week that youngster Jordon Ibe is on the verge of penning a new five-year extension with the club. The manager will hopefully have an update on that too.

Right then, the manager has arrived at Melwood and is ready to speak with the media, so let's see what's on his mind this week.

Unsurprisingly, Steven Gerrard is the first topic of conversation, and the manager confirms: "There's a fairly good chance Steven will play. Steven leaving here isn't permanent, he's somebody I'd love to have working with me when he's finished playing. That opportunity for him to come back will be there for as long as I'm here."

On the prospect of Gerrard returning to Liverpool on loan as a player, Rodgers insists: "We haven't spoken about it. That's maybe something we can look at another time."

Sticking with Gerrard, Rodgers adds: "Today is not about talking about transfer policy, it's about commemorating the career of a wonderful player. Our focus has been on finishing the season strong. I'll miss him as a man. He played 42 games in my first season, 39 last season and 38 so far this season. That shows his value and importance. To have him not here will be a hole and he will be a miss. He's irreplaceable but we have to keep moving forward as a club and as a team."

Rodgers continues to lavish praise on Gerrard, saying: "I think both our interests are purely devoted to Liverpool Football Club. He's one of the very few genuine world class players who is around the game."

On what Gerrard means to the city of Liverpool, Rodgers says: "I asked a lot of my staff to describe Steven in one word. I'd use the world Liverpool. Not just the club, but the city. He's very much about looking after his people. What Steven has given to this city, politicians haven't given to this city. He's a wonderful symbol for the people. You think he's a good player, he's an even better human being."

Turning his attention to the match itself, Rodgers confirms that there is no change to his squad's fitness, which means that Mamadou Sakho will be absent again, although he has been seen at training this week.

Well that's it from Rodgers for now. Understandably, the manager chose to focus on the final Anfield match of Steven Gerrard rather than on the fixture itself this weekend, while insisting that it was not an occasion to discuss the transfer window. So, join us again tomorrow to see if Gerrard will be going out on a high. Until then, thanks for joining me this morning. Goodbye.

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Steven Gerrard is substituted during Liverpool's game at Chelsea on May 10, 2015
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