Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted that Steven Gerrard recovered from his famous slip against Chelsea last season because of his strong "character".

The Merseyside outfit's grip on the Premier League title loosened after Gerrard lost his footing at Anfield, which allowed Demba Ba to snatch the ball and score in Chelsea's eventual 2-0 victory towards the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

Gerrard is expected to start for Liverpool this weekend as the Reds host Chelsea at Anfield with Rodgers's side 12 points behind the league leaders after 10 games.

"I think [the slip] was probably more for [the press]," The Mirror quotes Rodgers as saying. "It was just an unfortunate thing for me. It shows you the character of Steven. He has demonstrated that through his career.

"He has had hard moments in his career and he always responds magnificently - there was no blame. He was instrumental in our run last year and how well we played and he is a big character and bounces back from that."

Liverpool have won just four out of 10 in the league so far this season.