Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez confirmed on Monday that Steven Gerrard will be fit to face Chelsea in the semi-final of the Champions League and then played down talk that his captain could be a summer transfer target for the Blues.
A neck problem sustained last week kept Gerrard out of the 2-0 win at Fulham at the weekend but he came through training on Monday and will be available for the first leg at Anfield.
Benitez has also had to put up with talk that Chelsea could be set to bid for Gerrard for a third time at the end of this season following comments from Avram Grant. But the Spaniard believes that the importance of the game means that Grant's words have been twisted and he is not taking the claims seriously. "When we played against Inter Milan, people were saying that Inter wanted Gerrard and hopefully it will be the same in the final against Barcelona or Manchester United," he said.
"Stevie is a fantastic player and he's 100 percent focused on his career with Liverpool. He's fit for the game. Maybe after he's scored the winning goal in the semi-final, maybe he will be worth more!
"When you have some experience you know these things can happen so if I was asked about (Didier) Drogba or (Frank) Lampard or someone, I would say that they're a very good player. "We have enough experience to know that if anyone asks me or Avram Grant about a good player, we will say they're a good player."
There is speculation that co-owner Tom Hicks could be set to visit Anfield for the first time this year following months of off the pitch wrangling at Liverpool. But Benitez maintains that the possibility of Hicks being at the game will not be a distraction. "I don't think the fans will think too much about the directors box," said Benitez.
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