Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has admitted that the injury of midfielder Dietmar Hamann is a huge blow to the club. Hamann will be out of action for at least two weeks with a shin injury and will miss tonight's Worthington Cup tie with Aston Villa, along with Sunday's Merseyside derby clash with Everton.
Houllier said "Didi will be out for a couple of weeks and that is a blow because he's a very experienced player and midfielder, and we need that at times. We'll know more when we discover exactly what the problem is."
The Red's boss added "He told me he felt something before the Sunderland game but he knew it wasn't the time to be leaving the ship. Unfortunately he has to do that now."
However, Houllier remains confident that his squad can cope with this latest setback and has tipped them to end their recent run of bad form. "We have the squad to cover though. That is why you need three or four defensive midfielders in your squad because they are very important in modern football. I know the mental strength of my players are qualities that will get us through - the mental stamina and the sticking together."
Filed by Rob Wright
