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Kenny Dalglish looks forward to fielding Liverpool trio of Steven Gerrard, Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez ahead of Tottenham match
The Scot remained cagey over whether his Uruguayan striker would return following his ban and paid tribute to Harry Redknapp's in-form side
By Arthur Virgo
Kenny Dalglish believes Liverpool will continue to improve ahead of Monday’s game against Tottenham at Anfield, as it looks set to field its first-choice attack.
Luis Suarez is poised to make his return alongside Andy Carroll after serving an eight-match ban, meaning Dalglish can finally match the 57 million pounds strike partnership together with captain Steven Gerrard.
The encounter will be the first time the Reds have been able to start the trio, with the three having spent a total of just 69 minutes on the pitch together.
“I look forward to them having a run in the team together," Dalglish told the Daily Mail.
“I didn’t know Stevie, Luis and Andy have played so infrequently together. It positive for that we have that to look forward to and they are looking better.
“Steven was overworked in the run up to the Wolves game, while the wee man [Suarez] is fit and available now and so the level of fitness of the three of them is a lot better than it has been."
Carroll endured an injury-hit first season at Anfield after his arrival on last January’s deadline day and has struggled to live up to his 35 million pounds price tag in comparison to the effervescent Suarez.
“Andy is looking strong now – he was running strong at the end of the Wolves game,” the Scottish boss said of the 23-year-old, who scored the opening goal in Tuesday’s away win against Wolves.
The goal was Carroll's third in the Premier League this season and he has continued to impress after his flick-on set up Dirk Kuyt for the winner in the FA Cup against Manchester United.
Turning to Suarez’s impending return from suspension, Dalglish made no promises as to when the Uruguayan would feature.
“There is a lot to be taken into consideration," he said.
“The way the other boys have played without him and the fact he’s not played for a month will also be taken into consideration.
‘Luis got a rest in the summer, but he has had a lot of games. His fitness will not be a problem. There are no guarantees, one way or the other. There is no guarantee he will play, but neither are there any he won’t play.
“After five or six weeks out it’s not automatic someone will come straight back into the team. It depends on the individual, and it depends also on our needs and what we think, not just about who we have available, but who we are playing against as well.”
Dalglish also paid tribute to the threat his side will face from Spurs, after suffering a 4-0 defeat at White Hart Lane in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
He continued: “If they hadn’t had so many people unavailable at the start then the results they got against the two Manchester clubs may have been a little bit more positive.
“They deserve to be where they are – if not higher. There are still 15 games to go so they can still do it.”
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