Bordeaux v Liverpool: As Liverpool's players trooped through the airport here yesterday, the small band of fans and locals waiting to greet them in arrivals were especially disappointed not to spot one particularly familiar face. Steven Gerrard had been left behind nursing a tight hamstring.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is confident Gerrard will be fit to face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premiership on Sunday but when two days of intense treatment failed to provide the anticipated improvement, it was decided, late on Monday night, that this Champions League hurdle would have to be overcome without him.

While Gerrard's absence offers his colleagues a chance to prove they are not a one-man team after all, Benitez could have done with Mohamed Sissoko being fully fit rather than the "80 per cent" the manager claimed the midfielder to be yesterday. He may therefore offer Bolo Zenden the chance to start in a central midfield that will need to protect a vulnerable defence.

Liverpool's back four is likely to come under concerted attack tonight when Benitez - who is sufficiently worried about his players' form to have held an unscheduled "clear the air" meeting on Sunday in the wake of the previous day's 1-1 draw at home against Blackburn - expects Bordeaux to shoot on sight.

"You always need to be solid against Bordeaux," insisted Benitez, who is also without the injured Daniel Agger and Robbie Fowler. "But it's really, really important we stay strong in defence because they know they really need to win to stay in the Champions League."

Considering one of the men likely to be doing the French side's shooting is Lilian Laslandes, a centre forward Sunderland fans will remember as one of the worst buys in the club's history, Benitez may be overstating this evening's perils.

Bordeaux, coached by the Brazilian Ricardo Gomes, are fifth in League One and have yet to score in Europe this season. Even so, Liverpool have been erratic of late and could soon be out of the Premiership title race. Their Champions League qualifying position looks healthy enough but Benitez was sufficiently concerned to address his players collectively and individually.

"We're playing well for 30 or maybe 45 minutes at the moment but we're not consistent over 90 minutes," he explained. "All of us need to improve and I have talked to them all together and had individual conversations about it."

Much of this happened during Sunday's meeting, and Zenden, for one, believes it was important to bring problems into the open.

"Communication is always a good thing and I think we'll now be having more of these meetings this season," the midfielder said.

"It's easy to talk about excuses but it's important to take a step forward," cautioned Benitez.

"You need players who can analyse themselves and see they need to improve."

One such individual is Jamie Carragher, who, in Gerrard's absence, will captain Liverpool tonight. Part of that latterly shaky defence, Carragher nevertheless retains his manager's confidence.

"It's good to have players with character on the pitch," Benitez said. "Now Carragher must give the team the character we need in the Champions League. He was playing really well in the last two seasons and he knows he needs to get back to that same level again."

With Vladimir Smicer recovered from injury and hoping to step off Bordeaux's bench to exact revenge on Benitez for ending his Anfield career, Liverpool may need to be better all round if they are to win tonight.

Guardian Service